Love Not Forgotten
by sexy blue eyed devils
Summary: It is a delicate balancing act protecting the ones you love, while seeking the one that was lost. Sequel to Unrequited Love..
1. Chapter 1

_AN: thank you all for reading Unrequited Love. Your support has meant so much to me. ^_^ this is the second part to UL. It picks up not long after the last chapter. I want to thank __lilbit1016 __for helping me with the title and with getting my thoughts in order.. Ty buddy, I know it wasn't easy __J_

Anywho, please enjoy and let me know what you think..besitos!

"Is this a dream?" Mary looked at the white haired devil sitting in the grass next to her.

Vergil chuckled softly. "No my dear, you are awake. Why would you ask such a thing?" He traced the scar on her nose.

"Everything just feels so perfect." She smiled.

Looking around he noted that the day was indeed perfect. The sky was crystal clear, birds were singing, there was a light breeze blowing. The woman he loved and adored sprawled out on the grass next to him. It all seemed a little too cliché. _I can see why she would think she was dreaming. _He leaned over her brushing the hair away from her face then kissed her affectionately. Vergil looked deep into her heterochromatic eyes, he thought he could quite possibly drown in them if he stared long enough. His eyes filled with love and warmth. A slight blush tinted her cheeks as it always did when he looked at her that way. "Mary, I want to make you mine."

She smiled warmly up at him. "I'm already yours, silly."

"No, I want you to be my mate. That means I want to mark you as mine." He explained, searching her face for a reaction.

Mary raised a brow. "Is this a proposal?"

Vergil laughed lightly. "In a demonic sense it is. We will marry someday."

She didn't really know what to say to that. For a minute she thought he was pulling her leg.

"Vergil!" Eva shouted from the back door. "Your brother is on the phone!"

Glancing up at his mother, Vergil told her he would be right there. The light catching his hair giving him an ethereal beauty. Gazing back down at her. "Just think about it, that is all I ask." He disappeared into the house. Moments later he came back out to tell her he was meeting Dante for a job but would be back soon.

Mary sat there in the grass playing with a dandelion for a few more minutes before deciding to track Eva down. She has questions about this whole marking business. She found Eva watering the plants in her sitting room. "Eva, what can you tell me about marking?"

Eva came and sat next to her on the small couch, giving Mary a radiant smile. "So Vergil has told you he wants to mark you." Mary nodded shyly. "Well, when devils mate they mark their partner so no other demon will try to claim them. Not only does it show that you belong to him, but it denotes that he has given himself to you as well. Say for example, if something were to happen to you, Vergil would never be with another."

Mary's face saddened. "But I wouldn't want that for him. If something happened to me, I want him to move on."

The blond beauty put her hand on Mary's knee. "Be that as it may, even if he didn't mark you, I highly doubt Vergil would ever love anyone else."

As she milled this over Eva added. "Mary, this isn't something to be taken lightly either. Being who you are and the nature of your profession, you already put yourself at risk, however, being bound to Vergil also makes you a target because of who he is. Do you understand what I am trying to tell you?"

Mary nodded. "You're saying I could be used against him or to get at him."

"It is not easy to be mated to someone of Sparda's bloodline. There will always be someone seeking revenge for what he has done." She said pragmatically.

"I can imagine. If you don't mind me asking, how is it that no one has come after you yet?" Mary inquired.

"Sparda forged some very powerful wards around our home before disappearing." Eva looked off in the distance, twirling her ring. "The boys reinforce them when they start to weaken."

The huntress watched Sparda's beloved wife and felt a pang in her heart for her loss. "You miss him don't you?"

Eva gave her a sad smile. "Everyday of my life."

"Did it hurt when he marked you?"

Eva shrugged. "It did at first, but quickly faded away. The bite itself will eventually disappear so it can not be seen to the human eye, but demons will always be able to spot it and scent it."

"What do you mean by scent it?" Now she was a little confused.

"After you two become bound, you will always carry his scent. Think it over child. Do not rush into it if you are not certain that this is what you want. It would condemn you both if you changed your mind at a later time."

Mary thought quietly to herself for a moment." There's never been anyone since Sparda?"

Eva shook her head. "And there never will be."

Leaning forward, Mary gave her a tight hug. "Thank you Eva. You have really helped me a lot."

"Anytime sweetie." Eva said. Mary asked if she needed anything before she left to go visit with her mother. Eva smiled and shook her head, quite happy to be left alone with her thoughts of her Dark Knight. Vergil hadn't mentioned the vision he had about his father when he recovered. She was thankful that he didn't. It would be hopeless folly for him to go chasing after a ghost.

Ever since that night, her most cherished Sparda was a constant on her mind. He had never been far from it to begin with.

Unbeknown to her, Vergil and Dante were hatching a plan to retrieve their father. Vergil had told Dante about the vision he had. They younger twin told him he was off his rocker. Vergil replied that he would find Sparda with or without his help. Dante figured 'what-the-hell. I'm in.' The hard part was actually getting to him. They had narrowed the location down based on Vergil's dream and would be departing as soon as arrangement could be made. Little did Dante know, he would not be coming on this adventure.


	2. Chapter 2

Mary had been doing a lot of thinking and gathering information. She had worn herself out over thinking this mating bit. She had no problem giving herself to Vergil. She loved him whole heartedly. What concerned her was what would happen after she was gone. Mary knew her lifespan was not as long as Vergil's and it broke her heart to think that he would be alone after she passed. She just couldn't wrap herself around it. Mary sat curled up in the corner of the couch, fiddling with the tassels on one of the throw pillows.

The door burst open with Sparda's sons tumbling onto the floor. Dante flipped Vergil over and punched him in the face. The elder blocked the next blow, delivering an upper cut of his own. Dante fell backwards onto the office floor. Vergil stood grabbing his twin by the collar.

"We are not discussing this any further." He hissed, noting Mary sat on the edge of the couch in complete shock at their outburst. Letting go he turned to walk away.

Dante leapt up, tackling Vergil into the wall. "You are not doing this without me, so get that asinine idea out of your head now."

"Doing what?" Lady asked.

"Nothing." They said in unison.

Standing she walked to the stairs as they straightened themselves. "If you say so." She chalked it up to sibling rivalry.

They watched her ascend the stairs. "Dante I did not say you weren't coming, I merely stated it would be wise if you would stay here with Mary and Mother." Vergil said smoothing out his jacket.

"You are so full of shit. I know what you're thinking. You are not going alone." Dante crossed his arms.

"If you insist. Although, I do not feel that this is the best course of action." Vergil conceded, but only to appease his twin. He had no intention of taking Dante with him.

Vergil went up the stairs to find Mary reading on the bed. "What are you reading?" He asked as he draped his jacket over a chair.

"A book." He plucked it from her fingers. "Hey!" She came to the side of the bed and tried to grab it back. He only lifted it higher out of her reach.

Skimming the page, he handed it back to her. "Why didn't you come to me if you had questions about demon bonding?" She shrugged and looked at the ground. "Mary, what's wrong?" Vergil knelt down in front of her.

She met his beautiful cerulean eyes that were filled with concern and sighed. "I don't like that idea of you being alone forever when I die."

His expression turned to one of understanding. "I see. Mary, I have waited for you this long, what makes you think that I would ever want to be with anyone else?"

Her bi-colored eyes began to fill with tears. "Vergil I wont live as long as you. I want you to have the choice to love again after I'm gone."

The blue devil smiled gently and wiped away her tears. "My love, the future is full of uncertainties. You may even out live me. My point is, you are the only one my heart desires. There has never been, nor ever will be, anyone that I love more than you. You have me completely and nothing with change that. Not time, nor death. I am yours and yours alone. If you do not want to take that step, then that is alright. It is purely a formality and my decision has already been made."

Mary cupped his cheek and shook her head. "You are too stubborn for your own good Vergil."

Her blue devil gave her a small smile. "So I've been told."

AN: ok, just a quickie..next one will be a little longer..besitos!


	3. Chapter 3

Days passed and his words still weighed heavily on her mind. The night before she had laid awake for hours observing him sleeping. The image of peace and contentment on his beautiful face. She loved him, with that she had no doubt. She still couldn't get over how he would give up the rest of his life for her. Then it truly dawned on her that he had already given up so much of his life for her thus far. All those years of silently loving her when she was with Dante. It must have be torturous. She frowned at the thought. What if she had stayed with Dante? Would he still have waited? Mary knew her beloved enough to know the answer to that question would have been 'yes.'

He had caught her watching him that night. When his sleepy blue eyes slowly opened he asked her if everything was alright. After assuring him everything was fine, he whispered 'love you Mary' and drifted back into a deep slumber. Mary knew then that she wanted to be his more than anything. The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. Then she realized she had a lot of planning to do. She wanted this to moment to be perfect.

Vergil had returned home from his mission later on that evening to what he thought was an empty shop. Looking around, all the lights were out and it was dead quiet. The faint aroma of a recent meal still lingered in the air. Vergil hung up his coat and placed Yamato on her stand before noticing the note on the desk.

It simply requested him to be cleaned up and downstairs for dinner in twenty minutes. He held the note, flipping it against his other hand. _So it is to be a date then? Very well. _A slight smile curled his lips. He ascended the stairs and proceeded to get ready for his rendezvous.

Twenty minutes later, Vergil came downstairs in a blue button down shirt and black slacks ready for dinner. The aroma of an amazing meal delighted his senses as he inhaled deeply. The sight of his tantalizing other half made his mouth water. Mary filled the wine glasses on the table. She wore a plum cap sleeve, scoop neck dress that flared slightly at the hip and ended above the knee. Black strappy

heels completing the look.

"What's the occasion?" Vergil asked as he kissed her on the cheek.

Mary smiled up at him. "No occasion. We just don't get very many quiet moments alone together." She motioned for him to sit.

Vergil took his seat. "When did you start cooking? You never have before."

She shrugged and sat across from him. "I've always known how, I just don't."

The meal she prepared was delicious. However, he barely paid it any attention. His eyes were riveted to Mary. "You look breathtaking tonight."

She flushed. Mary rarely got to dress up, but she enjoyed it when she did. She frowned when she noticed he had hardly touched his food. "You're not eating. You don't like it?"

Vergil looked down at his plate, then back up at her. "My apologies. It seems I am a bit distracted." He gave her the once over before returning his attention to the plate before him.

Mary's cheeks darkened. _Oh my. We may not make it to dessert. _She was not going to give into him, not yet. She had spent all day planning this out down to every last detail. He was just going to have to calm his hormones. For now.

Dessert came and went as they filled the air with idle chit chat. She found she couldn't keep eye contact with him for long. His eyes were so intense as they swept over her causing the blush to creep back onto her cheeks.

As they were cleaning up, Mary asked him to find something she needed upstairs in their bathroom. Once Vergil was out of sight, she quickly ditched her shoes and ran up after him, careful not to be seen. Slipping into their closet she promptly changed her outfit. Checking herself in a mirror she had stashed in the closet, she sprayed herself with a light perfume and added a gloss to her lips. Peeking around the door she could still see him hunting for the item she knew wasn't there. Quickly, she lit the candles she had hidden around the room.

"Mary I cant find -" Vergil's voice was lost in his throat as he gazed upon the woman standing by their bed.

The raven haired beauty stood in a full length negligee. A midnight blue, the satin garment accentuating the curves of her body . A small amount of lace covered the swells of her breasts. The form fitting gown dipped low down her back and was held up by thin spaghetti straps. Vergil was left utterly speechless.

Mary stood with her hands clasped in front of her feeling bashful beyond belief. She knew she should feel more confident than this. Its not like this was their first time. She took Vergil's virginity for heavens sake. But she couldn't help the nerves that threatened to overtake her.

"You are radiant."" He said, the words a touch above a whisper.

"Do you like it?" Mary asked as she turned giving him the full view, to include the slit that ran up one creamy thigh.

"Very much so." Vergil said as he closed the distance between them. He encircled his arms around her skimming his fingers up her spine causing her to arch forward, brushing her breasts against his chest. She unbuttoned his shirt as he fingered the straps of her gown. Letting one slip off her shoulder he kissed his way over to her neck and up to her ear. "How should I unwrap this lovely gift you have given me?" One hand caressing the small of her back, the other tracing the lace over the top of her breasts.

Mary pushed the shirt from his shoulders and whispered back in his ear. "Quickly."

He captured her lips running his tongue against her upper lip. Eagerly she opened, allowing him to plunder her mouth. Just his kisses alone set her soul on fire. She knew she had come to the right decision. He was her heart, her friend and her lover. Her everything. Through the good times and bad, he was her rock. The constant in her life. Her reason for breathing. In a moment of selfishness, she realized she didn't want him to be with anyone else. He was hers now and forever.

Her hands worked his pants and underwear over slim hips. He freed her arms up long enough to slide the straps from her shoulders allowing her beautiful sheath to pool on the floor as the pile of clothing grew.

Mary could feel his need for her grow as he embraced her. She tilted her head to the side as he kissed the column of her neck. "Vergil, I want you to do it. I want you to mark me."

The blue devil pulled back. Looking deep into her eyes, the desire turned to love. "Are you sure this is what you want? There is no going back once this is done."

Mary placed her hand over his heart and nodded. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life." She kissed him lovingly as he lead her to the bed. Laying her down he came up over her.

"You are my everything Mary." Vergil whispered against her lips. "Anything you want of me, I will do."

The raven beauty rubbed her upper lip against his lower, coaxing them open. "Make love to me." Her lips sealed with his. Vergil tangled one hand in her hair, the other tracing the outline of her hip, up her side, bushing the curve of her breast. He settle at her entrance, bringing both arms up over her head entwining their fingers together, before slowly pushing inside her. Mary gasped and wrapped her leg around his. Sliding his knee under hers, he brought her other leg up around his waist as he slowly moved deep inside her. Vergil breathed her in as she gasped and moaned. Mary wanted so much to touch him, to caress every inch of his flawless skin, but he refused to relinquish his hold on her. The only thing she could do was tighten the grip on his hands. Vergil switched angles, causing her to cry out his name. He begged her to say it again. Mary called his name again and shuddered around him.

Vergil could feel his devil's need to mark his mate close under the surface. Gradually, his fangs began to descend. Kissing along her jaw, he nudged her head to the side. She bared her neck to him, her heart beat faster. A loud pained gasp left her throat, her hands gripping him tighter, as he sank his teeth into the soft skin along her neck. Soon the pain ebbed and was replaced with an amazing warmth that spread throughout her body. She could hear the separate pounding of their hearts suddenly sync into one. His voice echoed the words _I love you _inside her mind. More warmth spread throughout her as she whispered it back, her lips not uttering a sound. She experienced the joy he felt at their union. It made her want to weep, overwhelmed by the sensation of their new bond. Vergil released the bite on her neck, running his tongue over the mark, he kissed it tenderly. Fangs disappearing he pulled back to gaze into the eyes he would forever drown in.

"Mary, I am yours now and forever." Tears flowed freely from her eyes as Vergil released his hold on her hands to wipe away her tears. "For me, there is no other." Vergil kissed her tenderly as her hands roamed freely over him. Thrusting deeply into her once more, they peaked together, the moment intensified by their new bond. Mary felt as if she were on a cloud descending from heaven into the safety of her lovers warm embrace. Her blue devil curled adoringly around her as she slipped sated into a blissful slumber.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been a couple of weeks since Vergil had marked her. Mary stood in front of the bathroom mirror eyeballing the bite on her neck. It tingled slightly as she ran her fingers over it lightly. Smiling to herself, she found that she kinda fancied it and was a little disappointed that it would soon fade away. Dante of course had given her shit about it. Telling her if she didn't already smell like his brother, now she would reek of him. She laughed it off. He frowned, disappointed she didn't take the bait.

She found that she could sense Vergil when he was near. And that their dreams were somehow connected. Not always, but occasionally one would appear in the others dreams. Giggling to herself, one of her favorite new discoveries was she could tell when he was in the mood, though she was nowhere around him. She could sense it even if it was a passing thought. Mary never realized how often he thought about doing naughty things to her before. Well, the cat was out of the bag. It was like it called her to him and vise versa. For instance, just yesterday the passing thought of him getting dressed got her so worked up that ten minutes later he burst through the front doors and hauled her upstairs for a very intense and vigorous love session. They ended up spending most of their time in the bedroom. Both agreeing that they needed to get this under control and quick. Otherwise, neither would be able to function properly.

Vergil leaned in the doorway to the bathroom. His eyes roaming over her as she checked herself out in the mirror, still wearing her boy shorts and a t shirt.

"You can stop that now." She said glancing at him in the mirror.

Rolling his eyes, he came to stand behind her. Vergil kissed her cheek, which quickly lead to the side of her neck. She embraced the back of his neck and the arm around her waist.

"I seem to remember you having a lot more self control that this." Mary panted.

Slowly dragging his tongue up the side of her neck, he stopped at her ear. "Oh? And would you like me to go back to the days where I hid my feelings from you?" He then licked the outer shell of her ear. "I'm going to need you to control yourself as well. I was with my mother when you 'called' yesterday."

Mary giggled and he pulled back. "You were at your mother's house?"

"Yes, and it was quite embarrassing when she gave me a knowing smile when I excused myself rather abruptly." Vergil shuddered. His mother and father must have gone through the same thing, but no one wants to think about their parents having sex. She laughed harder. "I'm glad you are having a nice chuckle at my expense. However, I will be with Dante today and unless you want to be teased mercilessly-"

"Ok, ok. No thinking about you today." Mary turned and kissed him sweetly.

There was a knock at the door. "Hey horn dog, are you ready to go?"

Vergil sighed. Mary let him go. "Get going and don't kill him."

He tilted his head and gave her a devilish smirk. "No promises there."


	5. Chapter 5

"Do you want to explain what the hell this is?" Dante turned Vergil's laptop towards him when he entered the room. _Damn._ Vergil figured it was safe to leave his plans unguarded momentarily while making a cup of tea. Why would Dante ever go into the small study in the shop? He never had before.

Looking impassive, Vergil crossed towards the desk. "I think it is self explanatory."

"You are not going this alone! Damn it Vergil, we have had this conversation." Dante yelled.

Vergil gave an exasperated sigh. "Yes we have, however, I disagree with the arrangement that we made."

"What arrangement? You never intended for us both to go, did you?" The red devil came around the desk, blocking his brother from the exit. They were hashing this out, now.

"No." Vergil closed the laptop and crossed his arms. "I wanted you to stay here and protect Mother and Mary, incase this takes longer than we expected."

There was a pause. Vergil could see Dante was analyzing his last statement. "You mean incase you don't come back."

"We can't both go in after Father. Someone has to take care of them Dante if something were to happen." Vergil tried rationalizing.

"Then let me go. You stay with Mary and Mom." Dante mimicked his brothers stance.

"That is not an option." Vergil said flatly.

There was another long pause as the twins glared at each other.

Dante spoke, "Then we go together. We have twice the chance to find him and drag him out in half the time."

"No Dante. You are missing the point. If we both go, then they are left unguarded." Vergil ended it there. Neither wanted him to finish the sentence…More silence…Dante was reading between the lines and he didn't like what he saw.

"This is another one of those 'I gotta protect my little brother' things, isn't it?" The younger twin huffed. When he didn't get a response he rolled his eyes. "I'm gonna beat the shit out of Pop when I see him. Drop the over protective big brother crap, ok? I'm old enough to take care of myself. I'm coming with you, end of discussion. And don't try to play me with that, 'Mom and Mary will be left defenseless' shit either. You know as well as I do that we can set wards to protect them."

"Well you don't have to worry about me because I'm coming with you." Mary said from the doorway. She had heard the entire argument. To say she was pissed would have been an understatement.

"No, you're not." The twins said.

"Last time I checked, I was my own person and could go wherever I damn well please." She narrowed her eyes at them, hands firmly planted on her hips.

Dante scoffed. "You better get a hold of your woman Verge. This mission is too big for her." Vergil gave Dante a look, letting him know he really didn't need this and that he definitely was not helping.

"Excuse me?" Mary shouted.

Vergil slowly closed his eyes and rubbed his temple as he felt the on set of a migraine kicking in. The two yelled at each other for a good ten minutes before he had enough and simply fazed out. It took Dante and Lady another fifteen minutes to realize he wasn't there. They quietly glanced around the room, then back at each other.

"Look, he doesn't want either of us going so don't fly off the handle at him." Dante sighed.

Mary crossed her arms. "I know. It was pretty hard not to hear you two yelling about it though."

"Well, he has his reasons, although I don't agree with them." Dante turned to leave.

Mary following suit. "We probably gave him a stronger case as to why he should leave us behind."

They both knew where he was due to their unique bonds with him. He wasn't trying to block them, which was a good thing. At least he wasn't angry enough to shut them out. "He's on the roof, you wanna talk to him or should I?"

"I'll go try to reason with him." Lady set her hand on Dante's arm in reassurance and headed for the stairs.

"If you have come here to continue squabbling, I am not in the mood." Vergil was leaning against the side of the building with his eyes shut.

Mary felt bad for disturbing him, but also a little resentful that she was left in the dark about his plans. "I'm not here to fight with you. I just want to talk."

"Very well." He gestured for her to begin.

Mary took a deep breath and stood in front of him. "I understand why you don't want us to go. I get it. But how could you think of leaving and not even tell me where you were going? Vergil, I'm your mate now. You cant keep things that affect the both of us from me. I'm upset and hurt that you would do that. I appreciate what your intentions were, but you still need to let me in on these things."

"If you understand my decision then you should not be upset. I only have your well being and safety in mind." Vergil took her hands in his. "Cant you see, that I could not bare it if anything happened to you? Or Dante? Especially, if this all turns out to be for not. What if I'm wrong? Then I will have put you both in harms way for nothing. I need to know that you all are safe so I can focus on the task at hand."

"And I need to know that you are safe too. I would be sick with worry everyday that you are not here. I cant do that Vergil. I'm not strong enough. I need to be by your side. And so does Dante." She came closer until she was nestled in his arms.

"I do not want to leave you, but I cannot have you come with me either." He said softly in her hair.

"You are not going to win this argument." She said wrapping her arms around him under his coat, losing herself to his warmth.

What was it about this woman that always made him lose his resolve? "I suppose you two would only follow me, wouldn't you?"

Mary nodded into his chest, inhaling deeply the scent that was strictly Vergil.

They were quiet for a while. She could almost hear Vergil thinking. Going over all the scenarios in his head. He let out a long suffering sigh. "We leave in three days, under one condition." Her blue devil tilted her chin up looking her in the eyes. "If something goes wrong, and I mean anything, you get out of there immediately." His bright blue eyes boring into her were serious, but loving. "Do you understand? You don't look back. You don't try to help us. You get out."

Mary placed her hand over his heart. "Okay."

"Promise me, on out love, that you will get to safety if things get bad." He cupped her check and brushed his thumb across her lips.

"I promise. I'll even drag Dante with me if worse comes to worse. Which it wont." She already had a sense of dread that this mission maybe doomed from the start. She hoped it was just her nerves getting the best of her. "I'll go tell Dante."

"I already heard. Let's start packing." The younger twin trotted down the stairs. Vergil and Mary rolled their eyes after him.

"I have a feeling I am going to regret this."


	6. Chapter 6

The next two days passed quickly. The trio had gone to visit their mothers one last time before embarking on their journey. Hoping that this would not be the last time they saw their lovely faces. The boys were busy secretly warding the houses. Mary presented both women with crafted and blessed. A protection spell was also placed on the necklaces. The blond and raven haired beauties wore them with pride, promising to never take them off. Mary was banking on it, hoping it would be enough to keep them safe from harm until they came back.

There was a quiet excitement in the air. This rescue was going to be dangerous at best and was altogether insane. However, if they were successful, they would bring home the legendary Dark Knight. You could almost taste the anticipation.

Vergil could not sleep. He had dreamt of this moment for years. He wanted so desperately to bring his father home, to make their family whole again. However, doubt reared it's ugly head. Questioning if this was some boys' delusions that his father was still alive or if he was leading his twin and his life long love to an early grave. He leaned up against his window sill wondering if there was any way to convince his loved ones to stay behind. The likelihood of that happening was nil.

"Vergil, what's wrong?" He head Mary whisper sleepily.

"Nothing is the matter." He said quietly, "Go back to sleep."

She studied him from the bed. He stood looking out into the night sky. He wore only his bottoms, his hair ruffled from tossing and turning. The moonlight playing across his skin, dancing in his snowy hair. His eyes appearing dark as sapphires in the lunar glow.

Mary came to stand beside him, leaning into him as he brought his strong arms around her. "Why are you not sleeping? This is a long trip. You will need your rest."

"I could say the same to you. What's bothering you?" Mary reached up to push his hair back. "Are you too excited to sleep?"

"I am anxious. About many things." The blue twin pulled her closer.

"Care to elaborate?"

"No. I will not burden you with the trivial 'what ifs'." He said, threading his fingers through her hair.

"We are going to find him Vergil." Mary's bi-colored eyes gazed up at him.

_But at what cost? _The blue devil pushed that thought out of his mind. _Too late to turn back now._ Vergil ran the back of his hand across Mary's cheek. "You know I love you." She nodded. "Don't suppose I could convince you to stay?" Her brows drew together. Vergil chuckled softly. "Didn't think so."

Mary wrapped her arms around his neck bringing him down to her. Pressing her lips to his she spoke softly. "Come back to bed with me." She teasingly ran her tongue across his lips, pulling back slightly when he tried to connect with hers. Grasping the back of her neck, he prevented her from doing it a second time. He kissed the corner of her mouth, nibbling on her lower lip. "Kiss me Mary." The handsome devil crooned as he rubbed his succulent lips against hers.

It was times like this when she appreciated their bond that much more. She could feel his want for her growing inside him. His endless unabashing love consuming her. She drown in his need to please her, to love her, to submit to her desires. She had never know she could love and be loved so completely. Mary kissed him passionately reciprocating the emotion he felt for her. To say the least, at times it was overwhelming. So much so that the both thought they would weep. He picked her up as she kissed him thoroughly. Wrapping her legs around his waist she cradled his face in her hands as she continued exploring his mouth. A pained thought whispered in her mind and she gasped. "Vergil what if-"

He silenced her quickly. 'It's not." He pushed her gown up over her head, letting it flutter to the ground. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he kneaded her breasts while placing soft kisses along her neck. The thought had crossed his mind as well, but he refused to give it any relevance. He dipped down taking one rosy pert nipple between his lips.

Mary arched into him pressing his head closer. That cursed notion lingered in her mind, pushing her towards panic. A small sob escaped her thoat. She suddenly felt the need to touch him everywhere.

"Stop dwelling on it, my love. This will not be the last time." He kissed her fiercely, almost as if he were trying to convince himself of the same. Removing the last bit of clothing between them, she slid down his length engulfing him completely. They held each other tightly as Mary rocked her hips. Small gasps and pants filled the room.

Vergil lifted her and laid her down on their bed. Feather light caresses fell over exposed skin.

_Don't let me go. _

Moving into her slowly, their coupling was tender and sensual, all consuming.

_I will never let you go. _

Rolling her hips against his, Mary could feel the heat inside her building. She wanted this to last forever. Seeing Vergil this raw, feeling him inside her, knowing that she is the only one who can make him burn this hot with desire. Seeing the love he held for her in his eyes, only for her.

It was like the first night they spent together all over again. This time there was no resistance. She knew what he was doing and she couldn't keep herself from doing it too. They were memorizing each other. Every touch with a specific purpose. At one point he stopped and pulled away from her so he could look at her body glistening under him. Mary moved her hips upward encouraging him to watch as he made love to her. He gazed down as their bodies become one. Listening to her gasp and pant as he entered her over and over. His eyes roamed over the tiny scars on her stomach, over her heaving breasts, up the sensual column of her neck, to her pink pouty lips that begged to be kissed, across the bridge of her nose, to the most captivating eyes he had ever seen. She was perfection personified.

The blue eyed devil rolled them over so she was on top. Mary moaned his name softly, rhythmically moving her hips back and forth. She was close but wanted him there with her. She smoothed her hands over his chest and he gripped her thighs lightly. There were times he didn't mind relinquishing control, this was one of them. His raven haired temptress arched her back as she cupped her own breasts, squeezing them gently. His hold on her thighs tightening ever so slightly. Vergil matched her movement, rolling his hip up with her. Mary opened her mouth, a silent scream followed by a shattered gasp escaped as she clamped down around him, submitting to the pleasure he brought her. Panting her name Vergil lost himself inside her.

She came down over him, resting on his chest. They remained silent as their breathing returned to normal. Vergil ran his fingers up and down her spine lightly. "Please stay here."

"No." She whispered.

"If you loved me you would stay." He hopelessly tried again.

"Not happening." Mary played with his collarbone.

He sighed and looked down at her. "I could tie you up."

Mary gazed up into his worried eyes. "You could, but I'd just follow once I got loose."

"You are insufferably stubborn." His brows knitted together.

"So are you. What's your point?" She gave a small smirk. "Are we going to do this all night? It's only going to end the same."

Brushing her hair back, "You will be the death of me."

She sat up, hurt crossed her features. "Don't say that. Ever. Even if you are joking, ok?"

Vergil caressed her cheek, anguish in his eyes at the thought of hurting her. "My love, I meant nothing by it. Forgive me." Vergil kissed her tenderly.

"You are forgiven. Jerk." She laying her head back down. He chuckled softly.

"I love you too."

"You better." She mumbled.

He smiled into her hair. "Go to sleep my love. We leave in a few hours."

Morning came too early. Amazingly enough, Dante was the first one awake. He sat on the edge of the desk eager to get this journey underway. Vergil came down the stairs, followed by Lady minutes later.

"Have you checked everything?" Vergil asked as he adjusted the silk scarf around his neck.

"Yep. Everything is ready to go. Couldn't convince her to stay, huh?" The red devil smirked.

"No. She is very much like you in this mind set." He glanced over at Mary as she rechecked all of her weapons.

They took with them the bare essentials and their weapons of choice. Dante checked one last time for their tickets and they headed out the door.


	7. Chapter 7

They traveled by modern transportation as far as it would take them. Coming to a mountainous forest region they were on foot from here on out. They traveled in silence for the most part, with the occasional outburst from Dante to break up the monotony. The trio walked for days, stopping only when necessary. They were close, Vergil could feel it.

Stumbling upon an old abandoned cottage, they decided to rest for the night. Amazingly enough the domicile was still in living condition, although it was clear that no one had been there in quite sometime.

After they had settled in, Mary had gone off in the direction of a near by stream. Vergil stood on the small wooden porch, hands clasped behind his back, eyes closed. Dante watched him from the yard as he used Rebellion to chop wood. Studying his brothers face, he could see that he was in deep concentration. Walking over to where he was poised, Dante stood directly in front of him. Brushing the edge of Vergil's senses with his own, he was met with no resistance as he eased dropped on Vergil's inner most contemplations. He was worried. Worried for their safety. Worried that this mission was him just chasing a dream. Worried that when they got to where they were going that there would be no Sparda. That this was all in his head. Vergil took a deep cleansing breath.

"Dante it is not polite to invade some ones private thoughts without being invited." Vergil opened his eyes and peered down at his mirror image.

"I knocked. You didn't say I couldn't come in." The younger said as he stepped onto the porch. "Is that why you've been so quiet? Afraid of looking like a failure and a lunatic?"

Vergil glared at his twin, then softened a bit, acknowledging that Dante was right on the money. "Come on Verge. It's a chance worth taking right? What if he is there? Then we get to bring Dad home. If not, then we know we tried. But knowing one way or the other is better than spending the rest of our lives wondering." He placed a hand on Vergil's shoulder. "Stop second guessing yourself."

Vergil turned to Dante, his eyes were very serious. "I need to ask you something. We are assuming this mission is going to be a success and that we meet the end goal. However, say something were to happen, and I don't just mean in this instance, but in the future as well, would you be willing to take care of Mary for me?"

Dante looked at him, eyebrow raised, "Are you going somewhere?"

"Not that I am aware of, but these thing need to be addressed." Vergil spoke very calmly. "I know you cared for her once, I need to know that you would do so again in my absence."

"Of course. But since you're not going anywhere, the question is moot." He gave his brother a reassuring smile and patted him on the

shoulder before turning to go back to his work.

"Dante?"

Said twin looked over his shoulder.

Vergil needed to tell him something he felt was very important, but could not formulate the words to express himself. He opened up the channel to their bond so Dante could feel what he wants to say instead.

Dante smiled widely. "I love you too man." His smile turned into a smirk. "Now get your lazy ass out there and get us some dinner." When Vergil raise a sculpted brow, Dante continued. "You're the only one who has a weapon that won't obliterate the food or pump it full of lead."


	8. Chapter 8

"Well we should have known this wasn't going to go as easily as we planned." Dante whispered as the three of them scanned the area. Of course it was swarming with demons. This was the place; all they needed was a distraction to lure the demons away from the portal.

"You didn't think they'd let us just stroll right in, did you?" Lady whispered back. There were hunkered down on a ridge, overlooking a rather vast ravine. The portal lies at the bottom of the swirling abyss.

"I was hoping. Ok genius, now what?" He directed his comment to the blue devil pacing behind them.

"I'm working on it."

"Well work faster. That crowd down there looks restless." With a sudden strong gust of wind six demons shot up out of the darkness below. Five large demons chased after a smaller one. It shrieked its death as the larger ones caught it, tearing the beast apart. Before they were able to take cover they were spotted. One winged monster roared loudly alerting the other four to their position.

All three hunters had their hands full. As soon as one demon was brought

down, another took its place. Without warning, one demon rammed into an unsuspecting Lady, knocking her off her feet. Her weapons flung from her hands. The monster hastily grabbed her around the waist by its clawed feet, hoisting her into air.

"Lady!" Dante yelled, witnessing her being dragged off kicking and screaming.

Turning in Dante's direction Vergil saw Mary being carted off. Three more winged devils in pursuit, seeing the opportunity to steal a tasty snack. Abandoning his fight, Vergil bolted towards the edge of the precipice before triggering his devil form and taking flight. The demons he was battling following after. Vergil took out the demons one by one as he closed the distance between him and his mate. Lady struggled in the demons grasp. Pulling a knife from its sheath on her leg, she stabbed it into the taloned foot around her waist. She'd be damned if she was going to be a meal or worse and would rather fall to her death than succumb to either fate. The demon howled, releasing its prey.

Vergil watched as Mary plummeted towards the ground. Folding his wings back, he rocketed towards her, quickly closing the distance between them. Yamato destroying anything foolish enough to cross its path. Reaching with one clawed hand, he grasped her outstretched hand pulling her close. Mary threw her arms around his neck clinging tightly to her savior. The blue devil opened his winds wide to slow their decent.

Dante watched from above as several demons swooped down after them. Flinging himself over the edge he raced down the rocks surface. The next few moments happened so fast, yet time came to a virtual standstill.

Vergil and Mary were sideswiped by two demons, one after the other. They careened into the jagged rock wall, damaging one of Vergil's wings. The blue devil partially reverted back to his human form, his wings firmly wrapped around Mary. His only thought at this point was, _protect her at all cost._ Mary was terrified, she clung to him tightly. Vergil frantically looked for a way out of the situation. All outcomes were bleak. Suddenly he could hear the sounds of gun shots over the howling and screeching around them. Glancing up, he saw Dante getting closer. Looking down- more demons. _Not enough time. _Vergil spotted a ledge not far from Dante's projected path. _ Only one chance. _The blue devil let his twin see his plan through their connection.

Fear swept the younger twin. _ Don't you dare!_

_Too late._

Vergil kissed the top of Mary's head. He lifted his injured wing slightly; the tear caused it to flap sending them into a roll. Pressing it firmly against her again, they picked up speed. Opening his good wing, they came out of their barrel role. Hurling her up as hard as he could towards his twin, Mary shot up past the demons as they focused on the wounded devil below. Limbs flailing, she screamed. Dante snatched her wrist, pulling her to him, before ducking into the crevice as more demons flew down past them.

Dante held her close as she screamed for her love. They watched in horror at Vergil's decent. The ground opened up in a swirling purple electric fog swallowing him and the pursuing demons. Then there was silence. The only thing that could be heard was the racking sobs coming from the woman he clutched in his arms.

~v~v~v~

If they thought Sparda's eldest son was going down without a fight, they were dead wrong. The only problem was there were hundreds more of them than there were of him and he was wounded, badly. The muscles between his shoulders ached unforgivingly as he wielded his most trusted weapon. This was a no win situation and he knew it, but he was going to take out as many of those dirty bastards as he could.

Overwhelmed by the sheer number of demons converging on him, Vergil was soon overpowered. Dragged to a place where his fate would be determined at a later time. It was an arduous process, he did not go quietly. It took more than four guards to hold him. Heaven forbid one of them loosened their grip even slightly. Those four demons would hastily be sent back to their maker, but just as quickly replaced.

~v~v~v~

A lone figure sat shackled in a dirty cell. The chains were loose, but binding. He had broken free many times before they forged something strong enough to hold him.

It didn't matter as long as they were safe. How long had he been here? He had lost track of time. His once pristine royal purple garments, now reduced to tattered rags, mocked him. Brilliant white locks, now a dingy silvery-grey, hung low in his face. He was tired, oh, so tired. Rarely getting a moments peace at the hands of his jailers. It was a small price to pay for their safety.

Closing his blood shot eyes; he started as he heard a commotion from the floor above. It seemed to only get louder as it grew closer. There were many shouts and screams of pain and death. He cared not. _One more reluctant prisoner who probably wouldn't last the day._ His eyes widened as the ruckus came down the hall. Inhaling sharply, he shakily got to his feet. _No.. _Taking another deep breath. _Please no. It can't be!_

Coming into view, the Dark Knight could see his worst fear had been realized. He watched as his eldest broke free from his captors, slaughtering them mercilessly and gracefully with nothing more than his bare hands. His heart in his throat, he watched helplessly as his boy was forced down the corridor towards his holding cell. More demons converged from behind. He was trapped. Fighting for his life, Vergil froze as he turned his head assessing the demons behind him. Ice blue eyes connected as he stilled. The demons were on the young Sparda in seconds. His eyes wide with shock as they wrestled him to the ground. There was a sharp blow to the back of the head. A single word was uttered before darkness claimed him, "Father."


	9. Chapter 9

Sparda struggled against his restraints to no avail, a feral gleam in his eyes.

"Settle down traitor or we'll kill him now." The demon hissed, yanking back his unconscious sons head, bringing a blade to his throat. Sparda stilled, taking a step back. Dropping Vergil to the floor, the demon shackled him in the same fashion as his father. The guards howled in victor as they left the holding.

Vergil lay still on the filthy cell floor. The wound to the back of his head staining his hair red. Sparda reached tentatively to touch his child. The bindings pulling tight, keeping him just out of reach. He pulled harder, the shackles biting into his skin. The need to touch him, to know that he was real was overwhelming. Stretching his shaky hand he could feel the wisps of snow white hair on his fingertips.

The Dark Knight audibly gasped. "My brave foolish boy. Why are you here?"

Vergil groaned, pushing himself off the concrete floor. "I was looking for you." Head still swimming, he looked at the broken man that was his father.

"You have grown Vergil." Sparda looked his eldest son over, who was testing the strength of the chains holding him. "How long has it been? How much time have I been away?"

"You've been gone twenty-one years, Father."

Sparda knitted his brows together. "You shouldn't have come looking for me, my son."

Glancing down at his chains once again, "This wasn't exactly how I envisioned this reunion." Vergil took in his surroundings. Checking for any weakness, any 'chink' in the armor. Of course this place would be sealed tight. It did, after all, house the great Dark Knight Sparda.

Sparda watched as Vergil continued to survey the room, and then examine his own shackles intently. "How is your mother?" He spoke softly.

The elder twin looked up at his father. His eyes begged him to speak of her. "Mother is well. She has not changed much since you left." He paused. "Her hair is longer. Still as tenacious as ever."

Sparda gave a small smile. "And Dante?"

"Dante is the same. He still acts like a five year old." Vergil snorted and then smirked. "His language, however, is as colorful as a bag of skittles."

The Dark Knight chuckled softly. "And you?"

Vergil's face became an unreadable mask. "I am fine." He had so much he wanted to say to his Father, but felt that this was neither the time nor the place.

"Are you?"

"Yes. Currently I am perturbed about the situation that we are in, but yes Father, I am fine." Vergil said stoically.

The glimpsed at the cell door as they heard several guards making their way towards them. Sparda tensed, knowing what was in store. He glanced nervously at his son. Vergil steeled himself. _It begins._

~v~v~v~

Dante held Mary tight, neither uttering a single word. They had gone back like they said they would. Both bitter about it. Mary silently cried into Dante's chest. The younger twin quietly fumed. He was pissed, beyond pissed. Rage threatened to take him over. He was angry at the situation, at the loss of his brother. But more so at the father that left them so long ago. If he hadn't gone, Vergil wouldn't have chased after him. His mate wouldn't be crying on his shoulder. His mother wouldn't be the mess that she is right now worrying about her eldest son.

He glanced down at Lady. She looked completely lost. He pulled away from her slowly. Looking up into his smoldering blue eyes, Lady could see the dark rage looming over him.

"I need to go out for a bit. I'll be back soon, promise." He said softly.

Lady nodded. Dante holstered Ebony and Ivory, securing Rebellion, he looked back at her. A pang stabbed at his heart. "I called your mother, she should be here soon." Shutting the door soundlessly, he went out into the night seeking retribution.

Kalina Ann came into the shop to find her daughter curled up on the sofa clutching a ratty stuffed kitten. Her eyes were puffy, tears streaked her face. Mary hadn't been asleep long. She covered her up with a blanket and took the seat next to the sofa.

The little kitten Mary clung to was black with bright blue eyes. She was amazed she had kept it all this time. She remembered when Vergil had brought it over to her. Mary was eight.

"_Vergil, I'm sorry. Mary can't come out today. She has the chicken pox." Kalina Ann said sweetly._

"_Can I see her?" The little boy said concerned._

"_No honey, I'm sorry. Chicken Pox is very contagious and I wouldn't want you and Dante to catch them."_

_Vergil looked down for a moment, then back up at her. "Can she come out tomorrow?"_

"_I'm afraid not Vergil. It takes a couple of weeks to get over them." She wished she could have let him in, but she wouldn't risk him catching it, plus she wouldn't do that to Eva._

"_Will you tell her I hope she feels better soon?" He asked politely._

"_Absolutely." She smiled down at him._

_Vergil turned and ran back home. A couple hours later he knocked on their door again. Kalian Ann was surprised when he handed her a gift bag and asked her to give it to the ailing girl, then hopped off the front porch. He must have had Eva take him to the store. In the bag was the black stuffed kitten, a book and a bottle of calamine lotion. Kalian Ann's heart melted at such a thoughtful gift. She promptly took it to Mary who was itching like crazy. Seems Vergil knew just what she needed. He had probably gone home and done some research. Mary lit up at the kitten. Unfortunately for her she was allergic to the real thing, but wanted one more than anything. She played with the kitten she named Midnight while her mother spread the calamine lotion on her._

_Vergil had managed to find a way to see her anyway and had gotten caught. "Mary, who are you talking to?" She asked through the door before opening it. _

"_I'm talking to Vergil, Mama." She said in a tired voice. Kalina Ann opened the door expecting to chastise the silver haired boy for sneaking inside. Yet he was nowhere in the room. She looked to the window where she saw him sitting in the tree directly outside. He gave her a small smile._

_She pursed her lips together. "Young man, get down out of that tree."_

"_Yes Ma'am." He started climbing down._

"_Mama, don't make him leave please. I'm bored." Mary begged._

_Kalina Ann was outside when he got down from the tree. The Priestess wasn't mad at him. She actually thought it was cute. Striking a deal with the boy, she agreed to let him continue visiting Mary via the tree as long as he let her get her rest when she was tired and tried to get her to eat. Vergil agreed. He was there every morning when she woke until the sun went down or whenever she was tired. He read the book he bought for her. Kalina Ann would bring him lunch when it was time for Mary to eat. The Priestess would spread a blanket across Mary's window seat to make it feel more like a picnic._

Kalina Ann smiled at that fond memory. Vergil had always been there for Mary even when she was dating his brother. And now he was gone. Neither she nor Dante wanted to elaborate on Vergil's disappearance. Matter-of-fact, Mary had hardly spoken at all. It had been a couple of weeks since then. Dante was a wreck when he told Eva. Eva, as always, put her son first and held him when he began to sob. She cried on Kalina Ann's shoulder after Dante and Mary left. Mary was still in shock at that time; realization had not yet set in. She looked over at her daughter curled up on the couch and sighed. This was the position she stayed in most of the time now, whether it was here or in her bed upstairs. She refused to eat. Kalina Ann managed to get her to drink something occasionally, but that was all.

Mary sobbed lightly bringing her mother out of her revere. Sitting on the edge of the couch Kalina Ann stroked her hair. "Mary, you must stop this." Tears streamed anew from her puffy bi-colored eyes. "He wouldn't want you to do this."

"I know Mama. I just feel so empty without him." Mary said hoarsely. "It's my fault. I should have stayed here like he asked me too." She sat up, lost beyond all reason.

Kalina Ann hugged her, shushing her sobs. "There was no way to know that this would happen, Mary. But you must be strong, if not for yourself, for him. You are wasting away. If you keep this up, you'll end up in the hospital. You wouldn't want Vergil to come home to that, would you?" Her mother tried every other tactic; she hoped this one would work in pulling Mary from her depression. "You need to eat, honey. Why don't you go upstairs and take a shower, while I make you something."

The somber woman nodded wiping her eyes. "Ok."

Mary had to admit, the shower felt wonderful. She had been so cold and numb since that tragic day. The memory replayed over and over again in her mind. The sensation of them falling. She was terrified, but felt safe in his protective arms. He had held her against him so tight, he almost crushed her. He was panicked, this she knew. After they were thrown against the wall it almost consumed him. The soft kiss on the top of her head. The whispered 'I love you' in her mind. The feeling of weightlessness at being flung up in the air. Dante hugging her to him as they reached the ledge. She wanted to throw herself over the edge when the portal swallowed him up. Dante clutched her in his grasp, preventing either of them from following Vergil.

Mary's heart was shattered. At times she felt hollow and alone. She wasn't sure how long she could go on like this. Her world had come to a screeching halt. Every minute that passed by seemed like hours. She vaguely wondered if their bond made her grief even more intense. Had Eva felt this way at Sparda's departure?

She toweled off her ebony hair then slipped on her robe. She had taken to wearing Vergil's shirts as if it somehow made her feel closer to him. It was a small comfort that did little to ease the pain. Reaching into his draw, she heard a small clatter as she pulled out his shirt. Pulling the draw out a little further, she noticed a small box in the back. _Oh God. Please don't be what I think you are. _With a shaky hand, she picked up the burgundy box. Mary stared at the box as she cradled it in her hand. Taking a deep breath she opened it.

Gasping, she covered her mouth. Fresh tears pricked her eyes. "Mama." She whispered. Her knees gave out. "Mama!" She yelled as she sank to the floor.

Kalina Ann rushed up the stairs to find Mary sobbing on the floor. "What is it baby?" Mary turned her head and held up the box for her to see. She came down next to her. Her sad eyes falling on the ring that sat nestled on the white cushions inside the box. It was beautiful; it was simply, it was Mary. "Oh honey." She put her arm around her and leaned Mary's head on her shoulder.

"It's so pretty." Mary said in a tiny voice.

Her mother nodded. "I wonder how long he's had it."

"About three months." Dante said from the door. They turned to look at him as he came in the room.

"You knew?" Mary asked.

Dante nodded and knelt down in front of her. "Yeah, I was there when he picked it out." He gave her a small smile. Taking the box from her hand he turned it towards him, and then back to her. "He had it engraved." Mary frowned as she looked up at his twin. "Go on Mary take it out." He encouraged her.

Mary carefully plucked the ring from its pillow and looked inside the band: _4.12.93~forever. _She showed the ring to Kalina Ann as she sobbed uncontrollably. She didn't understand the significance of the date. Dante clued her in. "It was the day they first met."

Nodding her understanding, she handed it back to Mary. "Aren't you going to put it on?"

Mary shook her head vigorously. "He hasn't given it to me yet."

"Lady, I think Vergil would be okay if you put it on." Dante said softly as Mary put it back in the box.

She shook her head again. I can't."

The red twin scooped her up and carried her downstairs. He frowned, "You're too thin."

She sighed. "Please don't frown. It makes you look too serious."

He gave her a halfhearted smile. Dante understood her reasoning, even if she didn't directly come out and say it.

Kalina Ann was glad to see her eat, even if it wasn't much. It was better than nothing. Mary cradled the ring box in her hand for most of the night. Surprisingly, she did not shed anymore tears when she looked at it. When she finally went to bed, she rested the open box on the pillow next to her. The brilliant round diamond even seemed to sparkle in the dark. Closing her eyes momentarily, she felt a feather light caress ghost across her cheek. Opening her eyes she smiled sweetly. The diamond had been replaced by a pair of crystalline blue eyes.

"I'm dreaming, aren't I?" She whispered. Her handsome devil nodded. "I wish you were here."

"So do I, my Love." His voice sounded far away. A single tear escaped her eye. "Do not cry for me, Mary. I will come back to you." He wiped away the tear.

"When Vergil? I can't do this." She squeaked out and grabbed his hand.

Leaning up over her, he ran his fingers through her hair. "As soon as I can, I promise." He looked her over and frowned. "You are not eating." She looked away guiltily. "Mary you must not do this to yourself. I could not survive if you were to perish before I made my way back to you." Vergil cupped her face in his hands. "Please promise me you'll take care of yourself." He kissed her tenderly.

"I promise. I'll do whatever you ask, just come back home." She traced her fingers over his lips, he felt so real, she could even feel the warmth of his breath on her fingertips.

He sighed, kissing them gently. Briefly, his brows drew together as if he were in pain, before returning to normal. "I wish I could stay here forever, but I must go."

"Please Vergil, just a little longer." Mary began tearing up again.

Vergil kissed her deeply, as if his life depended on it. Pulling away breathlessly, he rested his forehead against hers before planting a soft kiss to her brow. "No more tears. You have cried enough." He winced again. "Wear the ring for me Mary. I should have given it to you long ago." Vergil swept his fingers over her face. When she opened them, he was gone.

Mary woke from her dream with a start. Looking to her side, she sighed and her shoulders slumped. She looked to the pillow where the little burgundy box sat, it wasn't there. Frantically, she tore at the bed sheets, tossing pillows to the floor. She caught a small flash of light as her hands swept the bed. Mary stilled, and looked at the diamond on her left hand. She didn't know how the ring had gotten there, but she swore she would never take it off.


	10. Chapter 10

Vergil moaned and tried to sit up. His body ached from the latest beating he took. Each one more severe than last. He spit his blood on the floor of the dingy cell and wiped at his mouth. He would not give them what they wanted. He refused to give them the satisfaction of his tortured screams. Leaning against the cell wall, he closed his eyes again. They would wait until he healed completely before continuing to the next round of cruelties. Allowing him to heal only to prolong the time it took to break him.

"Who is Mary?" Sparda asked quietly from the other side of their filth ridden quarters. Vergil peered at him as to question how he knew about her. "You spoke her name while you slept."

"She is my mate Father." Vergil said lowly.

"You must keep her a secret Vergil. They must never find out." Sparda said quickly. He understood the importance of hiding that type of information. They would definitely use it to their advantage. If they found out where she was, the outcome would be devastating. "Is she protected?"

"Of course, she is with Dante. She has priestess blood within her. Plus, she hunts demons for a living. She is well taken care of." Vergil stated with conviction, although his heart leapt at the thought of the demons finding her. "Have you thought of a way out of here?" He found the more time he stayed here, the more time he spent in this cell with his father, the more aggravated he became with him. A deep seeded resentment for the man, something he felt he had buried inside since his youth and never truly acknowledged, began to surface. He knew it would do no good to get angry with him now, and that his anger stemmed more so from their predicament than his issues with Sparda.

The Dark Knight sighed, "I have tried numerous times. Clearly nothing worked. My bindings are too strong now and I am too weak."

Vergil understood his father's resignation, after all he had been in this hell for two decades; however, this was not a fate he was willing to except. He imagined his father had this same mind set once upon a time. He did not know nor did he want to know what it was that finally broke him. They were getting out of here, both of them together. Right now he had to bide his time until the opportunity presented itself. Hopefully, it would be sooner than later.

The Dark Knight pulled and yanked helplessly against his chains as he watched the guard degrade his son. They had taken to brutalizing him in the same cell as a big 'fuck you' to the almighty Sparda. Vergil still refused to give them the screams of agony they so desired causing them to be more resourceful with their torments. This by far outweighed any beating he had received thus far. The aim was to not only break him physically but mentally as well. A pained gasp is all he would afford them. He didn't even want to give them that. He would kill this wretched bastard; slowly ripping him apart once he was free. He would kill them all, just as he had Dante's tormenters. The beast behind him was relentless. It breathed its foul breath in his face as it hammered him into the wall. Its clawed hand gripped his hair as he was forced to look at his father. Humiliation was only one of the many emotions raging through him as he was defaced in front of the man he had idolized all his life. _This isn't his fault…But isn't it?...I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him… I never would have come looking for him had he not left us to begin with…Stop it…He is not to blame…He did what he thought was right…Would you have done the same to protect what you loved the most? _ With one final thrust the monster finished with him, slamming his head into the wall and dropped him to the floor unceremoniously.

Vergil laid there for a long while before reaching down with a shaking hand pulling up his pants. He winced at this new kind of pain. Hoping against hopes that this would be the one and only time this ever happened. From the memories he stole from Dante, he knew it would not be.

"Vergil-"Sparda's voice was a trembling whisper.

"Don't." He croaked. He didn't need to be coddled or hear the empty words from a destitute man. He felt disgraced and shamed, which of course is why they did it. Vergil knew this, yet it did nothing to ease the mental anguish it caused. _Well done, you dirty bastards have achieved your objective. _ He would get over it. He had no choice. Each day away from her was worse than any pain these damned monsters could dole out. Yet no opportunity presented itself to make an escape, so he endured the pain and waited…

Anxious eyes watched the test sitting on the bathroom counter. Mary nervously bit her thumb waiting for the results. Two minutes seemed to take eons. She wished Eva had never planted that idea in her head. Although, she knew she wasn't eating enough to put on any weight, still it was unnerving to actually hear someone acknowledge what she had suspected herself. She just didn't want to believe it, but the little plus sign didn't lie. Mary placed her hand over her mouth; tears began welling up in her eyes.

There was a knock at the door. Mary honey, what does it say?" Her mother asked softly. Two women stood impatiently outside the bathroom door.

Mary opened the door slowly, test stick in hand, "I'm pregnant." Unable to hold them back anymore the tears streamed down her face. The women hugged her tightly, yet gently. There was a mixture of sadness and elation in the air.

Kalina Ann pulled away wiping her tears. "Ok, we need to get you checked out. See how far along you are." She smiled. Cell phone in hand, she walked into the next room.

"Eva, what am I going to do? I'm not ready for a baby…by myself." She choked on the last part.

"Oh honey, you won't be doing this alone. You have us- Me, your Mother, Dante. We will be here for you, never doubt that. You have always been so strong, you can do this." Eva hugged her close and rubbed her back soothingly.

"I wish he was here." Mary sobbed.

"We all do Mary. We all do." Eva whispered.

Kalina Ann reappeared minutes later. "Dr. Li will be here in an hour. Do you want some tea dear?"

Mary nodded. "Umm, can you give me a moment? I'll be right down, I promise." The women continued down the stairs joyfully gushing about becoming grandmothers. She shut the door and lifted her shirt. She rubbed her hand over the small bump that was her-_their_- baby. "Well, little one, looks like it's me and you until your Daddy comes home." Tears started to prick her eyes again. "No more tears. I can do this, for all of us." Straightening herself, she went down to the kitchen with a new resolve. She had two wonderful role models and if they could do it, so could she.

Dante came back to the shop not nearly as angry as he was when he left. His informants were useless or just not willing to give up any information. So he decided to let off some steam by hunting down a few dozen demons to take the edge off. His ears suddenly perked when his devil senses picked up an odd sound coming from upstairs. He wandered up to his brother's room where he found Eva and Kalina Ann hovering around a little Asian woman, who was smearing some goopy looking gel across Mary's stomach. All eyes were glued to a laptop sitting on the bedside table.

"There." The lady, he presumed was a doctor, said. Of course he couldn't see what she was pointing at, however, he could hear it. Dante had never heard anything like it, but it was beautiful.

"Hey." He said quietly, not really wanting to disturb the moment. "What are we looking at?"

All the women turned to him at once. "Are you the father?" The doctor inquired.

"Me?" Dante squeaked. "No! Wait, you're pregnant?" His eyes grew wide as he looked at his brother's future bride.

Mary laughed lightly at his reaction. "This is the uncle. Come here Dante." The mom's moved to give him some room. He sat tentatively on the bed next to her.

Dr. Li moved the wand on Mary's belly and the image changed on the screen. "This is the baby here." She pointed to the odd looking lump. She enlarged the image. Taking some measurements she moved the wand again.

Dante was fascinated. An image of a teeny baby was curled up on the screen. He could make out ten fingers, ten toes, and the shape of a small head. "Wow." Was all he could whisper. He realized the sound he heard before was the baby's heartbeat. "Is it a boy or a girl?" He asked, not taking his eyes off the image before him.

"It looks like it's still a little too soon to tell. Mary, you are about seventeen weeks along. We should be able to see the baby's gender in about three more weeks." Dr. Li took a couple of snap shots and printed them out for her to keep. Dante listened in as the doctor gave Mary instructions on how to better take care of herself and things she would need in the near future.

Kalina Ann walked Dr. Li out as they chatted about Mary's health thus far. Mary came to the edge of the bed next to Dante. He gave her a gentle bear hug. "Congratulations Lady. You're gonna make a good Mama. Man, Vergil would be eating this up right now." He hugged her a little tighter. "You know, I'll do whatever I can to help you with this baby."

Mary relaxed into his arms. "Thanks Dante, that means a lot."

Mary's feet padded softly on the cold floor, the darkness around her was unyielding yet she was peaceful. She could hear herself breathing softly. She smiled brightly when she caught her favorite scent on the gentle breeze that began to blow. The cold floor turned to cool grass. The darkness steadily lifted to reveal lush trees on the edge of a clear blue lake. The warm sun shown down through the bountiful branches alighting upon a sleeping man lying on his side facing the beautiful sparkling water. The wind picking up his scent again carrying it to her.

Sitting next to him she watched as he slept. The soft breeze ruffling his snowy hair. Sensing her presences he turned on his back towards her. Sleepy blue eyes opened, filling with warmth and love as her image came into focus. Vergil reached up and tucked a lock of hair behind Mary's ear, letting his hand linger on her cheek. He graced her with one of his rare breathtaking smiles. Leaning down she kissed him tenderly.

"You are a sight for sore eyes, my love." Vergil spoke in his far away voice.

"Is this your dream? Everything was black before I saw you." Mary ran her fingers through his hair. She noticed that he made no effort to sit up." Can't you move?"

"The view is lovely from down here." Even in his dream it was too painful to move. "I am just very tired." He tried to comfort her, the weariness showed in his eyes no matter how he tried to hide it. "Tell me, how have you been?"

Mary placed his head in her lap. "I have been doing very well." She smiled, she wanted to tell him about the baby, but wanted him to figure it out on his own. "I still miss you every day." She caressed his face; he turned to her resting against her stomach.

He opened his mouth to respond to her when he heard it. Closing his eyes he strained his senses, pressing his ear against her stomach, listening hard. Mary knew what he was listening for and watched his face intently. A wide smile spread across his lips as he opened his eyes. She matched his grin. He had no words to express the joy he felt at that moment. How he wished he was there. He turned on his side towards her and rubbed his hand over her swollen belly, kissing it gently. "I love you so much Mary. Promise me you two will stay safe." His eyes filled with concern.

"We will, I promise. No unnecessary risks." She ran her fingers through his hair again. Mary gasped. "Vergil, your nose is bleeding." She frowned as a dark bruise began to form around his eye.

"I know, my love. It is time for me to go. It may be harder for me to visit you like this, but I will continue to try." He cupped her cheek again whispering her name as he closed his eyes again. A strong wind blew in, whipping her hair around her face. When the wind calmed, he was gone and the darkness began to settle over her again.


	11. Chapter 11

"You have been awfully quiet lately." Eva said as she watched Dante clean his twin guns.

"I just don't have a lot to say right now." Dante's mind was elsewhere, split between trying to find his brother and taking care of Mary. Dante still held a dark rage inside him, which at times he felt would consume him. He no longer could feel the bond between him and Vergil. They had been apart far too long.

"Dante, I need you to talk to me sweetie. It's not good for you to bottle all this up." It amazed her how he started to take on a few of Vergil's traits, it also concerned her greatly. Vergil, she knew how to handle. A quiet Dante filled with a grandiose amount of anger, she did not. It was easier to handle when he was younger; now, he was a ticking time bomb. Dante slid the pieces back together until Ebony was completely assembled. He inspected it thoroughly, his gaze a bit too intense for her liking. "Dante?"

He glanced up at his mother. His eyes were icy and danced with a burning flame. Eva steadied herself and would not be intimidated by the hard glare of her youngest son. Dante blinked a couple of times then sighed. Setting Ebony down, he looked at the ground. "I feel like I am losing my mind sometimes."

Eva let out the breath she was holding. He came over to the couch she was perched on and sat next to her. Leaning on his knees he tried to describe all of the emotions racing through him. The hollowness at losing Vergil. The obligation to find him and to take care of his mate and child pulled him in opposite directions. The unmitigated rage he held towards his father. _Ah, there it is._ He stood and began pacing, ranting about how none of this would have happened if Sparda had never left in the first place. He was angry that Eva had to raise them alone. He was angry about all the times he and Vergil crawled into bed with her late at night when they heard her crying because of him. Dante was furious that Sparda's departure robbed not only him but Vergil of their father, causing his older twin to grow up a hell of a lot faster than he should have; becoming the man of the house at the ripe old age of five. He hated his father for putting that type of responsibility on his brother, when he was the one who should have been taking care of them. And for Vergil being lost because they had to chase after him and now his unborn child may also grow up without a father if they couldn't rescue him.

Eva waited until he was finished. She never knew he felt this strongly about Sparda. It was touching in a way to know most of his anger was on Vergil's behalf. But it still hurt to know he held his father in such contempt. He finished his rant and plopped down on the couch again. Eva started calmly. "Dante let me ask you a question and I want you to be honest with me. Think about your answer before you give it." Her youngest son nodded for her to continue. "What would you do to protect your family?"

Dante answered without hesitation. "Anything."

"Would you leave them if it meant they would be safer without you? Even if it broke your heart; their hearts?"

He knew where she was going with this and sighed. "Yes, but how could you be sure they would be safe without you there to protect them?"

"You can't, but that is the chance you would have to take. Especially, knowing every day you stayed put them more and more at risk. Your father didn't abandon us Dante. He did what he thought was best to protect us. He wasn't a heartless demon; he agonized about his decision for months before he decided to leave." She held Dante's hand in her own.

"You knew he was going to leave?" His eyes were sad, not for him or Vergil, but for his mother.

Eva nodded solemnly. "Do you hate me as well for letting him leave?"

"No!" Dante balked. "You didn't try to stop him?"

"He knew my thoughts on the matter. Honey, he did what he did for the three of us. He told me before he left if he could have cried; he would have wept rivers of tears. He loved us Dante. Don't hate him for that. As far as what has happened to Vergil, I do not blame your father and neither should you." Eva said calmly.

"You don't think he's responsible for Vergil's disappearance?" The red devil said petulantly.

"No, I do not." Eva took a deep breath. "Vergil is his own man. You know as well as I do that if he wanted to find your father, there is nothing that would deter him. I am not saying your brother was wrong, please don't think that. You both are my world; you are your father's world as well. Everything he has done has been for you and Vergil. Just remember that, ok?" Eva ended with a sob. Dante pulled her into his arms and she sobbed quietly.

"I'm sorry Mom. I didn't know." Dante felt his heart go out to his mother and a new acceptance about his father. He still didn't know if he agreed with him though.

"It's ok baby." She sat up and wiped her tears. "If your brother does manage to find him, please be understanding Dante."

~v~v~v~v~

"I have failed you my son." Sparda said grief stricken. This was the last thing he wanted for his child; endless pain and suffering day after day.

Vergil coughed violently, choking on his own blood. Catching his breath he spat venomously, "Stop apologizing Father, it is becoming tiresome."

They sat quietly for a moment. Sparda spoke softly, the pain thick in his words. "I thought I had done the right thing all those years ago. I should have known I could not hide from them forever. The chances of them finding my family were greater if I did not leave. It was a difficult decision, not knowing if you all would survive. The danger would have been greater had I stayed. I am glad to know that you were able to thrive in my absence. My heart bleeds that you are here now Vergil. I never wanted this for any of you, my son."

"You are glad we thrived?" Vergil said crossly. "That is hardly the word I would have chosen. To this day Mother still cries herself to sleep when the thought of you becomes too much. Dante has grown to hate the father he never had. He sees your departure as abandonment, not a chance to _thrive_. He became unruly and rebellious, picking fights with anyone who dared looked at him cross-eyed for years. He hated you for leaving Mother to take care of us on her own. Thrived? You tore a part of our hearts out, leaving us incomplete!" Vergil coughed again. Catching his breath he took the time to collect his thoughts. Calmly, he continued. "Father, I understand why you left and that it was a devastating choice to have to make. Would I have made the same decision, who is to say? But the fact of the matter is, the choice was made that you felt would have the least amount of consequences. We maintained Father, we did not thrive. We all have our own emotional scars."

"Which is why you tend not to address them?" Sparda probed.

"You presume to know a lot about me from the short time we've been reunited. I did not have time to acknowledge them Father. I was trying to take care of and protect the family you left behind." He said flatly, no emotion breached his stony face.

"And you resent me for it. I do not blame you. I should not have asked that of you at such young age. Your eyes have haunted me Vergil. The look of such sadness and desperation I had never seen before. I hadn't meant to wake you. I tried to slip quietly away twice, but I couldn't leave without seeing you and Dante one last time. You are right; I took the route I thought would do the least amount of damage. It killed me inside not knowing what had become of your mother or you boys. I thought about you every day. It was the only thing that kept me sane at times. I would imagine how you and your brother had grown and what you were doing with your lives. I accept yours and Dante's anger and bitterness towards me, but please believe me, I only did what I thought was best for all of you. I would have never left you otherwise." Sparda's eyes pleaded for understanding but were firm in his convictions that he had done what right.

Vergil sighed deeply, "I do not hate you Father. If I did, I would not have come looking for you. You are my Father. I have idolized you all my life; your greatness is what I have always strived for. I push myself hard because of you, to make you proud. To make sure Mother would never want for anything, however, the only thing she has ever wanted was you, that is why I am here now. We are going to make it out of here and we are going back home together."

Vergil hoped his words were reassuring to calm his father's distress. Sparda was getting stronger, albeit slowly, now that Vergil took the brunt of the guards wrath. He had been working at one of his chains for a week and was making progress. He had to be patient, no matter how much he longed to break free. The moment wasn't right..not yet.


	12. Chapter 12

"How's my little niece doing?" Dante cooed as he rubbed Mary's swollen belly. The baby kicked his hand. Mary squealed and smacked his hand away. "Feisty, just like your mama." He grinned. Mary scowled at him. She was in an emotional uproar, she was very pregnant and not in the mood for his teasing. "So what are you going to name her?"

"Jayden." She rubbed her belly, calming the baby inside.

"Jayden...hmm. I like it." Dante said.

"Don't be thinking up any crazy nick-names either. I know you. You'll come up with something ridiculous that will follow her for the rest of her life." Mary said, pointing her finger at him.

"I would be offended if it wasn't true. Want some ice cream?" He tried to appease her.

"No, I'm good. I can't see my toes as it is." She moaned.

"You only got a month to go babe. I think you still look great. I'd hit it." The red devil teased.

"Dante! God, you are so crude! You better learn to control that when Jayden gets here. I don't want her cursing like a sailor." She chastised.

Dante threw his head back and laughed. "Lady, you are taking all the fun out of being an uncle."

"You're incorrigible Dante." Lady grouched trying to roll herself off the couch. "Help me up please."

He took her outstretched hand and gently pulled her to her feet. He followed her to the stairs making sure she didn't fall down. "I have a good lead." He said hopeful.

"I don't know why you continue to listen to your crooked informants. You know they aren't trying to help you. They're only telling you what you want to hear to get you off their backs." She sighed as she slipped into bed.

Dante pulled the covers over her trying to make her more comfortable, only getting his hand smacked away for his effort. He turned to leave when Mary called out, "Please be careful. I don't want to lose you too."

The red devil gave her a cocky grin. "I'm not going anywhere babe. Enjoy your nap."

Mary closed her eyes and began to dream. But this time wasn't like the others. It was like she was watching a movie reel of memories. She saw images of a little snowy haired boy and a raven haired girl. They were talking about her fear of the dark.

"_Why are you so afraid? It's just night time. You can't have light without the dark."_

"_I don't like the shadows. I'm always afraid something is going to get me. Vergil, can you see in the dark?"_

"_Yes, can't you?"_

"_Not very well."_

"_Stay here. I'll be right back." The little boy returned moments later with a night light. "There, now you won't have to be scared."_

"_I'm not scared when I'm with you."_

These were her and Vergil's memories. The images blurred coming to the next one. It was one she would rather forget.

"_Vergil Stop!"_

_She was fifteen. Some boys had cornered her in the gym at a school dance. Unfortunately for Mary, she developed quickly at a young age. Dante didn't want to go to the dance and went to the movies instead. She dragged Vergil along much to his protest._

_When Vergil went looking for her, he saw them pawing at her trying to pull her shirt off. Vergil grabbed the first guy spinning him around, punching him in the face, breaking his nose. The other three guys came at him. One even managed to get a lucky punch in before he laid them all out. The ring leader threw a chair at him, trying to get back into the fight. All he did was exceed in pissing the half devil off even more._

"_Vergil Stop! Please!"_

_He hovered over the bully, halting his assault. Glaring down at him, he hissed "If you ever touch her again, I'll kill you."_

_He stood and they scrambled to get away. Vergil began to remove his shirt, leaving him in his t shirt. Mary did what she could to cover herself. The group had torn her shirt exposing her. He draped it over her shoulders as she slid it on. _

"_You're bleeding."_

"_It will heal. Did they hurt you?" There was so much fury in his eyes._

"_No, just scared me." _

_He picked her up, cradling her to his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head into his chest. He carried her all the way home and up to his room. He sat down with her in his lap and just held her. An hour went by and they hadn't moved. _

_Eva ran up the stairs to his room. "Vergil have you seen-"She looked at them, Mary was a sleep in his arms. She noticed there was a cut under Vergil's right eye and dried blood on his hands. "What happened?"_

"_She was attacked." He said softly, rage still in his eyes._

"_Is she ok?" She came closer to the bed._

"_She says she's ok."_

_Eva nodded. "I'm going to call her mother."_

_The_ _memory faded and she was glad. The next appeared and she had to laugh. It was one of_ _the few times she got the upper hand on Vergil. He was teaching her hand to hand combat when she caught him with a knee to the groin that was supposed to be a little higher. He dropped to his knees as she fussed over him apologizing profusely._

_Her laughter subsiding, she wondered why she never saw it before. It was so obvious how much he loved and cared for her. The little one inside her belly gave her a nudge. She looked down and rubbed it soothingly. Gazing up, she found herself in a lush green meadow, littered with purple and blue flowers. The sun warmed her skin and she smiled up at the sky._

"_Mary…" His voice was faint and distant. She turned frantically looking for her love. She knew she heard him._

"_Vergil? Where are you?" she called. _

_His strong arms enfolded her. "Right here." She leaned back into his arms. Mary looked up to see him smiling down at her. He grazed his hand over her extended stomach. His smile widened. The babe in her womb shifted to where his hands rested. "Jayden." His voice still so far away. She rested her hand over his, he eyed the ring. "It looks lovely on you." Vergil brought her hand to his lips, kissing it gently. _

_Mary turned in his arms leaning up she kissed him deeply. Vergil pulled her tight against him. She grasped the back of his neck to bring him closer. He let out a sharp gasp and pulled back. "Vergil what's wrong?" Her hand slipped down and it was covered in blood. She gazed up at him horrified. Him appearance changed; he was rugged and covered in blood._

"_Tell Dante not to come for me. I will come to you." The sky darkened as he backed away._

"_Vergil." Hot tears fell from her eyes. She started towards him. "Don't leave me."_

"_I will come for you." He touched her cheek. "I promise." Then he was gone._

Mary woke from her dream with tears streaming down her face. She wiped them away quickly. "Get it together." She could still feel him all around her. She needed to find Dante. Mary wobbled her way down the stairs as quickly as she dared.

Dante had just closed the front door. "Hey babe, where's the fire? It's not time, is it?"

"No, it's not. You can't go looking for Vergil." Mary recanted her dream.

"Like hell I'm not. He needs to be here with you and Jayden. To protect you." Dante closed his eyes, _Dammit Vergil._ "I get it. That's why he wants me to stay with you."

"We don't mean to be a burden." Mary held her stomach as she began to tear again. Damn these hormones!

Dante rushed over to her. "No, no, you're not a burden. Hey, you know I'd do anything for your two. Come here." He pulled her close. "It's hard, you know. I feel like I'm being pulled in two separate directions sometimes. I want him back as much as you do."

She held onto Dante, "He's not even here and he still bosses you around." Mary looked up at him.

He gave a small laugh. "Yeah, prick."

~v~v~v~v~

"Hold him still!" The guards barked as an old haggard woman shuffled into the cell. The guards had Vergil on his knees, his chained were pulled tight. One of the demons held his head still.

"Vergil, empty your mind!" Sparda yelled as two more demons tried to subdue him.

"Silence traitor!"

The old hag stood before Vergil. Her eyes were completely white. Old crow hands gripped his chin lifting his face to her. "Oh, you're a pretty one. Strong willed, like your father." She brought her hands on side of his face. "Let's see if you are as strong as he is." Pressing her index fingers to his temples, her clawed nails grew, piercing the flesh drilling into his head. He gasped at the pain. Placing her thumbs under his eyes, she applying more pressure. His eyes grew wide, a white milky film clouded his vision as the witches eyes became a crystalline blue. She probed his mind, searching for his weakness.

"Ah, he is strong, but not strong enough." She pressed her fingers deeper into his flesh. Vergil groaned as he tried to fight her. The seer smiled grotesquely as she found what she was looking for.

"No-" Vergil gasped.

"There is a woman who carries his child. She resides with the younger son of Sparda. The mother-"

"NO!" The chain Vergil had been working on for weeks had finally broken when he pulled against it, grabbing the witch by the throat. The haggard she-devil gasped as her eyes began to change. Vergil tightened his grip as hers loosened. The guards attempted to regain control. Half blinded, the blue devil ripped her throat out, but not before the location of his family left her lips. They converged on him beating him ruthlessly as they dragged the old woman's corpse out of the cell.

Mournful cries echoed through the halls. The shouts and screams of a mad man who had doomed his mate, his child, his entire family, drowned out any other sound. He had given in; giving them the anguished broken wails they had been after all along. He had cried, thrashed and screamed until he could no longer make a sound. He had to reach her; had to warn them somehow. His bond with her through dreams had grown too weak. Mostly blind, he couldn't get to her even if by some change of fortune they were to escape. He needed to connect with Dante. He had to try- it was all he had left.

~v~v~v~v~

Dante was sprawled out on the couch flipping through channels on the tube. Nothing decent was ever on at 3 AM. He suddenly felt a slight tingling, like something wasn't right. Shutting off the television, he concentrated; throwing out his senses. The sensation grew stronger as he sat up on the seat.

_Dante…_

It was faint. Very faint.

_Vergil!_

"_No time…get out…they're coming! _The communication was weak, but he heard it none the less.

_Verge, where are you?_

_Dante—now! Get Mother and Kalina Ann too—no time! GO!_

And the connection was lost.

Dante ran up the stairs. "Mary wake up, we have to go. Don't ask questions, just grab a few things and let's go."

Mary got out of bed as fast as she could. She always had a bag packed anyway, just in case. Especially, now that she was pregnant. Gathering a few more things she shoved them in the bag along with the picture off the dresser and the gun under her pillow. She met Dante in the hall with a bag of his own. Taking hers, he ushered her down the stairs, stopping long enough to grab his guns and his sword. Tossing Mary his cell he issued orders for her to call their mother's as they hurried to the car out front.

They pulled up out front of Eva's house about fifteen minutes later. "Stay here." Dante ran inside gathering up Eva's and Kalina Ann's bags. The women rushed out to the car. Dante warded the house quickly and followed suit. "Did anyone forget anything?" Dante asked as he floored it. They all shook their heads and rode in silence. The red devil was taking them to the safe house the twins had procured out in the country for just this type of situation. About nine hours later they reached their destination. Which Mary was grateful for, she wasn't feeling too well and needed to lie down.

The house was surrounded by trees up on a small hill. It stood two stories, yet was modest in appearance. Kalina Ann helped Mary out of the car and into the house. She stopped when Mary gripped her stomach in pain. "It's just a contraction sweetie, breath through it."

"I know. I've been having them for the last hour." Mary breathed in deep, rubbing her belly.

"How far apart are they?" Kalina Ann asked slightly concerned.

"About ten minutes apart."

"Oh my. Come upstairs and lay down. You might be getting ready to have this baby." Her mother guided her up the stairs.

"What? But I'm not due for another month." She said as panic began to set in.

"Women have babies earlier than this; it's nothing to worry about. I want you to lie down. I'm going to get Eva." Kalina Ann scurried out of the room.

Mary breathed her way through another contraction as she stood next to the bed. She heard Dante yell, "Now?" There was quite a commotion as everyone was busy gathering what they needed. Mary felt warm liquid run down her leg. "Oh, God. Mama! My water just broke!"

The two women returned and hurried about getting Mary prepared for what was to come. They laid her on the bed, towels all around her. Eva propped her up on several pillows.

"Oh my God, I can't believe this is happening." Mary teared up. She was excited and terrified.

"It's ok honey. You can do this. We are going to be here helping you all the way." Eva brushed her hair away from her forehead. "You're going to do fine." Vergil's mother smiled down at her. She looked towards the door when Dante entered. "Dante, get the biggest pot of warm water you can find."

Dante was back moments later. Setting the basin down, he started back towards the door. "Dante, please don't go." Mary whimpered.

He really didn't want to be in there. This was way out of his element. He took a deep breath and made his way to the bed, kneeling down beside it. He held Mary's hand and she gripped it tightly. He could tell she was frightened, not only for herself but for her baby. Especially after all that had happened in the last twelve hours and now she was having his brother's baby. In a soothing tone Dante reassured her. "I'll be right here as long as you need me."

Tears left the corner of her eyes. "Mary, on the next contraction I want you to push." Kalina Ann directed.

Mary looked back to Dante and he smiled. "You got this."

Feeling the next contraction coming, Mary took a deep breath—"Push!"


	13. Chapter 13

Vergil rested soundlessly against the cold cell wall. His throat was raw; the tormented screams subsided long ago. Rage built inside him, it festered in his stomach and ate away at his mind. He stared straight ahead at nothing. It would do him no good to focus on anything as he remained blinded. His vision would improve so he could see shades and blurry shapes, even that was sporadic at best. His demon spoke in his head, threats of vengeance and retribution. It desperately craved to take over. And with every passing day, he embraced his inner demon more and more.

Sparda could feel the change in his son. He had not been able to get through to him as Vergil fell more and more into the abyss of hate and self-loathing. The Dark Knight sensed his demon gnashing its teeth and chomping at the bit; waiting for the opportunity when his son relinquished his control over it and allowed it the freedom to destroy everything in its path. The power in Vergil began to rise steadily.

"Son, you must not give in to your need for revenge. Control your devil, do not let it get the upper hand. It will do you no good. The hatred will only consume you." Sparda spoke firmly, trying to reason with him. However, he could sense that it was a losing battle. Vergil would succumb to his emotions of abhorrence and despair.

Vergil would not respond, nor show any outward reactions. He listened to the voice in his mind speaking its demonic tongue, spitting out destruction of his enemies and the salvation of his family, of his child, of her. His eyes flashed red as he began to embrace the power and let his devil take over.

"Vergil, listen to me son. This is not what you want. This will not save them. Control your anger boy! Do not let it best you." Sparda pleaded.

The blue devil brought his gaze towards his father. This was not a good sign and it alarmed Sparda. Vergil's eyes glowed a brilliant red; he was seeing through his devil's eyes. "Imprudent old man. Controlling my ire is neither helped nor hindered me. I can see clearly now, where I have been blinded for weeks. My half breed blood is what keeps me bound in these chains. Too weak to break their bonds. Too weak to save _my_ family." He fumed.

"Vergil your humanity is what makes you who you are. It is what your mate fell in love with, not your devil, but a combination of the two." Sparda countered. "If you allow yourself to be controlled, it will change everything you are."

"And how is that helping me here?" Vergil bellowed. "They are in danger because of who/what I am. I cannot sit idly by while they are slaughtered!" Getting to his feet, he balled his fists. "I _WON'T_!"

There was a bright flash of light, raw power burst forth. Shackles fell to the ground as the cell door blew open. Vergil stood in his new devil form; one that mimicked that of his father. He crossed the room towards the Dark Knight. "Get up." His gravelly voice commanded. Seizing the chains that bound his father, he wrapped them around his arms and ripped them from the wall. The alarm had been sounded as the demons bore down on them. Calling Yamato to him, Vergil destroyed any and everything in his path. His devil begged for their death as he bathed them in his wrath. Sparda happened across Forced Edge and took up position from behind, catching the few stragglers Vergil left behind. As promised, he left nothing alive. If it was foolish enough to engage him, it quickly met its end.

Once they finally made it through the portal, Sparda sealed it. His step faltered, weakened by the exertion of the battle. He had not been this active in twenty plus years. His son hoisted him over his shoulder in a fireman hold and rushed through the trees in the mountainous area the emerged from. He knew his devil form was going to fade soon, the thirst for blood being sated. That also meant his sight would be gone as well.

Sparda could tell his son's devil was powering down. Vergil picked up speed, determined to gain more distance. "Vergil, put me down son. You are exhausted." Vergil ignored him, taking advantage of his sight a while longer. Suddenly, his devil form flashed in and out causing him to stumble; losing his footing, they tumbled down the slope coming to rest in a leafy area. Both men lay among the brush panting heavily.

The Dark Knight rolled to his side trying to catch his breath. The sweet clean air filled his lungs. He coughed violently, unused to the purity of the oxygen he breathed in. "Are you alright?" Sparda crawled over to where his eldest son lay sprawled out on the leafy floor bed.

Panting, realization hit him. "We made it out." Vergil turned towards his father's voice as the elder grabbed his face. "We made it." His father kissed his forehead and pulled him into a tight hug.

"My boy, my foolish, foolish, brilliant boy!" Sparda laughed.

Vergil patted him on the arm. "Father, I can't breathe."

"Right." Sparda pulled away kissing his forehead once more. He grabbed Vergil's face looking at his eyes and frowned. The milky white hazed still covered his cerulean blue orbs. "You still cannot see?"

"No, it comes and goes." Vergil said solemnly.

"Do you know where we are?" He helped the other to his feet.

The younger devil wobbled as he got his balance. "Vaguely. Give me a moment." Vergil closed his eyes getting his bearings. He breathed deep, casting out his senses. His devil lies dormant again. He took a gamble with telling it loose. It paid off, he hoped it didn't come back to haunt him in the long run. "We should head southwest. There is a creek nearby. If we follow it south we should eventually come to civilization."

"How long?" His father queried as he helped him down the incline.

"A while." Was the response.


	14. Chapter 14

Lady lie sleeping completely exhausted. She labored hard on top of the previous day's excitement; it was enough to tax even the strongest of wills. She gave birth to a beautiful blue eyed, snowy haired baby girl. She was the spitting image of her father.

Eva rocked the baby as she slept. Dante watched his mother from a distance. She seemed so content, so blissful. He couldn't help but think about his twin in a time like this. He had missed the birth of his child, it saddened him, but he made sure he would share the memory with Vergil when he came back. And he would come back. Eva caught sight of Dante. She smiled widely as she held the baby close to her.

"She reminds me of you boys when you were babies." Eva moved the blanket to reveal Jayden's cherubic face. Eva reminisced, "The two of you were bound from the instant you were born. You would babble and coo at each other, entertaining each other for hours. Although Jayden is only hours old, I can already tell she is going to be just like Vergil. He was always so quiet, unless he was separated from you. I know your heart breaks for him Dante. Mine does too." Eva drew quiet. Her youngest son sat down next to her. He eyed the baby with wonder at how tiny she was. "Would you like to hold her?"

Dante leaned back. "Oh no. I might break her or something. She looks kind of fragile."

Eva smiled warmly at him. "You would be surprised at how strong babies can be. She won't break Dante." Eva placed the infant in his arms. "Just remember to support her head."

Dante held her awkwardly until he realized that she indeed would not break. Jayden yawned and opened her bright blue eyes. Her uncle smiled down at her. He ran is finger over her tiny hand, she reflexively gripped on to it. Dante smiled even wider. The babe yawned once more and closed her eyes. "I promise you. I will protect you and take care of you for all my life Jayden. Nothing will ever harm you." He whispered. Eva reached up and brushed Dante's hair back. Their eyes met with an underlying pride and sadness. "I mean it Mom. I'll treat her like she was my own, until Vergil comes back. And she'll never have to wonder how much he loves her because I'll tell her every day. I'll tell her stories about him so she'll know him when she sees him."

Eva's eyes swelled with tears. "I know you will honey. You are a wonderful uncle and a good brother."

He smiled tightly at his mother and looked down at the sleeping baby in his arms. "She'll never want for anything."

Sparda and his eldest son had been traveling for weeks, maybe longer. They were filthy and tired. It was slow going for the most part due to Sparda's still weakened state and Vergil's blindness. At times his vision would return, although extremely blurry. When he could see, the pair would race along as fast as they could. His sight never lasted long, twenty to thirty minutes at the most. It made for an aggravating trek and an irritated Vergil. Sparda's thought was, they were free, they would reach their family soon enough. Although, to say he was anxious to reach Eva and Dante was an understatement. Vergil was just as eager to get to Mary and his child. He wanted it so desperately, he could taste it.

They made camp when it was dark. Sparda hunted, bringing them back some type of wild life and cooking it over an open fire. He made a comment to the effect of this was the camping trip they should have taken when he was younger. As much as Vergil appreciated the sentiment, he rather be in the arms of the woman he loved.

The Dark Knight shared many of his war stories, in which Vergil listened to intently. He even told how he and Eva first met. Vergil in turn shared stories of him and Dante when they were younger and when he first met Mary.

Vergil expressed his concern about his sight. How was he supposed to protect his family when he couldn't see? Sparda told him they would try to find some remedies when they returned home. Vergil could live with that for now, not that he had a choice.

"Vergil, I never thanked you for coming to my aid. I know they put you through so much and I hope in time you will be able to heal from the wounds that were inflicted both mentally and physically. You are strong, my son. You are everything I thought you would be. We will get your vision back, you have my word. It may take time, but it will happen." Sparda swore to his son not realizing that he had fallen asleep. "Rest my son. You have been through much. We will make it home soon enough."

AN: just a short one.. a heads up, the next couple chapters will be shorties until they get back home..


	15. Chapter 15

Mary held her sleeping babe as she rocked her in the chair by the window. Dante came into the room carrying a cup of tea. "Hey Mama, you sure do good work." He smiled down at his niece. "Your mom wanted me to bring you this." He handed her the tea.

"Thank you." Mary sipped the tea before setting it on the window sill. She sighed and looked out the window. "I thought I could feel him last night. It was probably my hopeful imagination. I miss him so much Dante."

Dante took a deep breath. "Yeah, me too babe. I kinda thought I could sense him. Maybe he and pop got out. Wonder if mom can still feel him or if its been to long for her to tell."

"Don't get my hopes up Dante. I couldn't take the heartbreak if it wasn't true." She looked down at Jayden. The baby was wide awake and staring silently at her mother. "How long have you been awake little one? Did you hear us talking about your daddy?" Jayden made a cooing sound that made Mary and Dante smile. "I hope she'll be able to tell you two apart."

"I'm sure she will. I'm the good looking one anyway. Isn't that right Jade?" Dante picked her up and coddled her, the baby smiled up at him. "See, she agrees. Look, she's smiling."

"Dante, that's gas. What did I tell you about nick names?" Lady laughed lightly.

"What? It's not bad. It's cute." Dante made faces at the baby as she blew bubbles at him.

"Okay goofball, give her back. It's time for her to eat." Mary held her arms out for Jayden.

"Ohh, can I watch?"

"No, you pervert. Now get out." Dante chuckled and closed the door behind him. "Your Uncle Dante is a trouble maker Jayden, but a good man. Just remember that when you get older. He will try to get you into all kinds of mischief." Mary whispered down to her nursing babe. "Your father is a good man too, just not the clown his brother is. Sometimes it's hard to believe they are twins." She stroked Jayden's fine snowy hair. "Your daddy has been my best friend since I was six years old. He's always been there for me and always puts everyone else's needs before his own. When he gets home, he is going to dote on you hand and foot. Just you wait, you are going to have him wrapped around your little finger."

AN: uber quickie..


	16. Chapter 16

Vergil patience was wearing thin. His blindness was becoming more than a nuisance. They had finally reached civilization but the time it took had been long and irksome. Plus they had to stay on the outskirts to avoid attention. The blue devil leaned against a tree, while Sparda scouted the area. He hadn't realized he was being watched, until he heard tiny footsteps coming closer. Manipulating his senses he knew there was no threat, it was merely a child.

"Sir, are you ok? Do you need some help?" The small child asked.

Vergil must have looked dreadful to her. "Thank you, no. I am simply resting, waiting for my father to return. You should not be out in the woods alone. Where are your parents?"

The little girl, no more than six, sat down in front of him. "My mom went into town, we live out here. Right over there." She pointed. When he didn't follow her finger, she looked closer. "Are you blind?"

"Yes, didn't your mother teach you not to talk to strangers?" Vergil inquired as the girl got closer.

"Yeah, but you don't look dangerous." She said casually.

He had to laugh at that. "Little one, I am very dangerous, but not to you. What is your name?"

"Anna."

"Anna, my name is Vergil."

She touched Yamato's ribbons. "Is this your walking stick?"

Vergil smiled. "This is my sword." He thumbed the hilt, letting her peek at Yamato. "See?"

"Wow." The little girl was quiet for a minute. "I like your hair. It's pretty."

He gave her a lopsided grin. "Thank you. I imagine it's quite dirty right now."

"Yeah, it is." She giggled.

He marveled _why is this child so at ease? She should be terrified._

"Anna!" A woman yelled frantically.

"I'm over here Mama!" She yelled back to her mother. "I'll be right back Vergil. Don't go anywhere, ok?"

Vergil nodded. Anna came back a few minutes later. "See Mama I wasn't fibbing." Anna's mother slowly pushed her behind her. "This is Vergil. He can't see. He's waiting for his father to come back."

"Do you need any help?" Her mother asked cautiously.

"I am fine thank you. I apologize for intruding into your backyard. As soon as my father returns, we will be on our way." Vergil said his head moved towards her voice.

"You poor thing, please let me help you." She said coming closer. Assessing his appearance she could tell he had been through a lot.

"That will not be necessary, but thank you for your kindness." Vergil moved to stand. He began to feel a little uncomfortable by her close proximity.

"It's no bother really. At least let me offer you and your father a warm meal and a change of clothes." Vergil tried to move away as she came closer. Stumbling he righted himself. She held onto his should as he got his balance.

"If you would be so kind, please do not touch me. I mean no offense; I know you are only trying to help." He didn't want another woman to touch him, even if she was just trying to help. She wasn't Mary.

"I'm sorry."

"No, it is I who am sorry. I do not mean to shun away from you kindness. I am not used to being touched." That was all he was willing to give as far as an explanation went. Even though he could not see, his eyes moved rapidly, as if searching for a way out. He felt trapped. Jumping, he felt the little girl take his hand.

"It's ok Vergil. We won't hurt you." Anna said as she looked up at him.

He tilted his head in her direction. "Thank you Anna."

Sensing his sons distress, Sparda rushed back to see the woman and child trying to come to his aid. He came slowly into the clearing as not to startle them. "I see you have made some friends my son." Sparda could visibly see Vergil relax.

"It would appear so."

"Please, I mean no harm; I just want to offer a warm meal and a place to stay for the night." The woman said addressing Sparda.

The Dark Knight smiled warmly. "Thank you for your most gracious offer. That would be wonderful. We humbly accept."

"Father I—", Vergil started.

"I know you're anxious to get home. As am I. One night of decent rest would not hurt us." He reasoned.

Vergil nodded his acceptance. Sparda worried about his son's health. Vergil had been pushing himself too hard in wanting to return home to his family. He needed to rest and eat. A proper meal would definitely be welcome at this point.

The young woman and her daughter showed them to their home. Vergil enjoyed the shower greatly as the filth and grime was washed away from his skin. It was a start. He thought about Mary as he stood under the water, he could almost sense her. His heart ached to be near her. Soon, he just needed to be patient. Sighing, he turned off the water. The woman, her name was Kayla, gave him some of her husband's clothes. He put on the clothing with a little fumbling. It was like getting dressed in the dark, no biggie. Who was he kidding, it was infuriating, but he would manage.

There was a small knock at the door. "Mr. Vergil, are you ok in there?" Anna's tiny voice came through the door.

"Anna, leave the man alone, honey." Kayla could be heard down the hall.

Vergil opened the door. "Yes Anna, I am fine. But can you tell me if I have my shirt on right?"

He crouched down to her level and she checked the inside of his shirt. "Yep, you got it. Your hair is even prettier now that it's clean." She lead Vergil into the family room and over to the couch. She stared at him quietly. Vergil was uneasy in his surroundings and oddly enough felt more comfortable in the outdoors. He fidgeted slightly. Anna jumped off the couch and disappeared. A few minutes later she returned, dragging something alongside her. Placing her hand on Vergil's she handed him his 'walking stick'.

"Anna, you are a very insightful young lady." He took a deep breath. "I hope my daughter is as kind as you are when she grows up." Vergil smiled and Anna climbed back up on the couch.

"You have a daughter?"

Vergil nodded. "She should have been born by now."

"You haven't seen her yet?" The little girl frowned.

The blue devil tapped his temple. "I can't see, remember? But no, I have not. I've been away for a long time. We are on our way home now. I can't wait to hold her."

"We're you able to see before?"

"Yes…I had an accident and lost my vision. Sometimes I can see but it's very blurry." Vergil told the little girl.

"Ohh, that's sad. I bet you miss her mama, huh?" Anna played with a piece of her hair.

"Very much so Anna, very much so." His expression saddened. The child got to her knees and put her small arms around his neck. Vergil hesitated before returning the child's embrace. Her mother stood in the kitchen doorway with her hand to her mouth as she watched the exchange. Vergil addressed her, "You have a very kind and loving child." It made him long for his family even more.

The next morning both men rose early feeling rejuvenated. They had slept hard and were now well rested. After Kayla had served breakfast, they said their good-byes and went on their way, but not before Sparda set wards around their home. It was the least he could do for their hospitality. Kayla provided them with a map and some food. They refused the money she offered, saying she had done more than enough.

They were maybe a day or two at the most from reaching the safe house. Both men were anxious and excited, though they kept it to themselves. The terrain was easier to travel now and they were capable of making more progress quickly. Vergil was able to cast his senses out further than before, which made it a little easier for him to navigate.

The pair decided to rest for a few moments while getting their bearings. Sparda was going over the map, when he noticed Vergil was nowhere around. He spotted his son walking slowly into the field ahead of them. His head slightly titled towards the sky. A strong breeze began to blow and he paused. Sparda watched his eldest as the wind whipped around him. Vergil was the image of serenity as he soaked up the sun's rays. He felt her, he was sure of this. Suddenly having a moment of clarity, his eyes popped open and he looked back at his father. They both took off as break neck speed, Sparda following Vergil's lead.

The wind whirled around Mary, caressing her as the sun kissed her skin. She held her daughter tightly as a peace and happiness that she hadn't felt in a long time wrapped her in a blanket of warmth and joy. Mary inhaled deeply. Her heterochromatic eyes suddenly grew wide.

A faint whisper brushed her mind. _I'm coming._

"—Vergil."


	17. Chapter 17

Vergil fell to his knees as he panted hard; his vision waning once more. Sparda put his hand on his son's shoulder, as his breathing returned to normal. At this rate they would be with their loved ones with in the next twenty-four hours.

"That was quite a burst, my boy. Your old man had a hard time keeping up with you." Sparda laughed.

Vergil chuckled lightly. "I wanted to take advantage of my sight while I could. It lasted longer this time."

"You could feel her, couldn't you?" The Dark Knight asked. "I could sense your mother, briefly. It was like a small slice of heaven."

Vergil nodded getting to his feet again. "We are so close. Please tell me you do not want to stop." He implored.

"As long as you feel you can make it. We will carry on. Come." Sparda gripped his son's forearm and they continued onward.

-vvv-

Mary paced around the room wringing her hands. She was anxious, nervous. Hopeful that what she felt wasn't her imagination. Kalina Ann watched her daughter with concern. "Honey, you need to relax. You are going to wear holes in the floor."

"I can't sit still Mama. I know it was him, I know it." She said excitedly.

"I know you are anxious, but it may be some time before he gets here. You need to get some rest before Jayden wakes up." Kalina Ann urged her to sit down, but it was useless.

At that moment, Dante burst into the room, stopping short when he saw Mary. "Did you feel it?" His eyes were wide and begged her to confirm what he knew. Mary nodded and a huge grin split his face. He snatched her up and spun her around before setting her down and running out of the room again.

She shared a look with Kalina Ann and both women shook their heads. At that point Jayden decided to make her presence known. Mary picked her up out of the bassinet and held her close. "Your Daddy is on his way." She beamed. The baby gave a soft coo.

-vvvv-

The midday sun beat down on the travelers as they made their way through the wooded area. It was a pleasant feeling. They were close enough for the twins to reestablish their connection. Dante was elated to feel Vergil brush his mind. Yet, he had the damnedest time convincing him to stay with the women. Dante groused mentally but saw his reason. "Soon Dante." He whispered. Reminding himself to stay calm as well.

Stumbling, Vergil came to sit on the forest bed. They had traveled all night. 'We can rest when we get there.' Sparda knelt down in front of his eldest son. He had pushed too hard, but knew the excitement and yearning he felt at being so close. The Dark Knight ran his fingers threw Vergil's hair, dislodging a few leaves that had tangled themselves in his locks.

"Rest Vergil, catch your breath."

Vergil nodded in agreement for once. "We are very close Father. An hour tops." He grew quiet, contemplative. "I wish I could see them when we arrive."

"We will work on getting your sight back, it may take time but it will happen." Sparda assured him.

Vergil shook his head. "It matters not and is unimportant as long as I am able to be with them."

-VVVV-

Brilliant blue eyes gazed out over the open landscape scanning the horizon from his sentient place at the window, arms crossed as to not fidget. He was close. He was—here?

"Dante come eat." Eva fussed, it was unlike him not to scarf down anything put on the table.

Slowly he made his way to his girls and holstered them, just in case this turned out to be a trick.

"Dante?"

"Stay here Mother." He headed towards the front door.

"What is it?" Eva's voice filled with concern.

"Just give me a minute." He had felt another presence with Vergil; it was only now that he recognized it as his father. "I'll be right back. Go ahead and eat." He hoped his words were reassuring. Eva gave him an assessing look and returned to the dining room.

Walking cautiously towards the crest of the hill, he ran down the slope when he saw his brother with his arm around his father, leaning his weight into him.

They had made it, Sparda wanted to pick Vergil up and carry him the rest of the way so desperate to reunite with the rest of his family. He wouldn't disgrace his son like that and let him move under his own power. Looking up the worn path his eyes resting on that of his youngest son, red coat flapping in the sudden breeze that surrounded them. "Dante."

Vergil smiled as his twins emotions bombarded him through their connection, he almost laughed at Dante's giddiness. Dante came to a stop in front of him and grasped the back of his neck. Sparda separated from them. Vergil lifted blind eyes to where his twin was standing as not to startle him. The younger brought him into a bone crushing hug. He let out a breathy laugh as Dante flooded his mind with so many questions. "Slow down brother, there is time."

Vergil let go of Dante and he turned to his father. Sparda stared at his youngest not sure what to do next. He wanted to embrace him, apologize for all the wrongs he had caused, all the pain. He wanted to beg for forgiveness. Dante quirked the corner of his mouth, "Hiya Pop." At that he pulled Dante to him holding him tightly.

"Dante, oh my Dante. I am so sorry. Please forgive me my son. "Sparda begged.

"What the hell did you tell him Verge?" Dante patted his Father's back.

"The truth."

"It's ok Pop." Dante pulled away.

Sparda looked over his shoulder to what he was sure a delusional vision. Eva stood at the top of the hill, her dress flowing about her ankles, long satiny blond hair blowing in the breeze. The Dark Knight dropped to his knees. Dante instantly went to help him. "No my son, I'm alright. H-help your brother. He has lost his sight." Sparda scrambled to his feet and made his way towards his vision.

Eva met him halfway, tears streaming down her face. He reached a shaky hand up to tuck a golden lock behind her ear. "My love, milady." He whispered before kissing her lips tenderly. He was home. He was finally home.

Eva could not believe it. Her love, her life stood before him. Her stubborn little boy had brought him home. They were complete. They were a family again. As Sparda kissed her lips, she could feel him flow through every fiber of her being. Throwing her arms around him, she held him closer… She was complete.

Dante turned to Vergil. "What did he mean you lost your sight?" He gripped Vergil's shoulders, just now noticing the unfocused stare off in the distance.

"It's a long story. Where is Mary?" Vergil asked, the desperation bleeding into his words.

Dante looked up behind him towards the house. "Well, seems like she's on her way down now." He smiled, stepping aside as Mary came running down the hill at full speed. "Get ready."

Vergil laughed and stepped back with one foot to brace himself for impact. "I've never been more ready for anything in all my life." At that moment, Mary slammed into him full force throwing her arms around his neck. Vergil wrapped his arms around her waist picking her up, spinning her round. He set her down as she buried her head in the side of his neck crying uncontrollably. He shushed her as he held the back of her head to him. "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

"I'll kick your ass if you ever leave me again!" She said between sobs.

"There's my Mary." He smiled and kissed her cheek. Sighing happily he held her tightly, stroking her hair until she calmed.

Mary lifted her gaze to his, but found his eyes cloudy and unfocused. Brushing her fingertips across his cheek, "What happened, Vergil?"

His smile slipped away knowing of what she spoke. "It is a tale for another time, my love. One I will regale at a later date, but now, I would like to hold my child, if I could?"

Mary nodded, "Ok." Pressing a kiss to his lips she held him closer not wanting to break the embrace. _I love you._

_I have never loved anyone more than I love you. My sweet Mary. _Silent tears rolled down his cheeks as she tangled her fingers in his hair, drawing him closer still.

"Ok, this is just getting awkward." Dante said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Vergil couldn't help the belly laugh that escaped his throat as he doubled over in laughter. Elated that he was with his family once again, it was all he could do. Mary scowled deeply at Dante for ruining the moment, but eventually smiled at Vergil's merriment. The laughter subsiding, with Mary on one side and his twin on the other the trio made their way up the hill where Kalina Ann waited, babe nestled in her arms.

AN: ugh, had issue with how this turned out. It came close to how I envisioned it, but not quite.. y'all let me know what you think… I feel it is anti-climactic, but that's just me… take care! Besos!


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